Intrinsic Value
by Amanda Hart
Summary: Looking like a demon and the ability to disappear and reappear has its advantages.  Features Warrior Johnny as vocalist and OC Khira as guitar player.  SMUT ALERT.  warrior!Johnny/OC Khira;  warrior!Pandora/OC Christian
1. The Game

**A/N: I did this to break away from the actual game. Also, spikey demon Warrior Johnny as singer has something fantastic about him. Deal with it, m'kay?**

**Guitar Hero, Warrior Johnny, the songs referenced and such all belong to somebody else. Khira belongs to me because I made her up more than ten years ago. :)**

**Please R/R! I love you guys!**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

This was the typical setup for live play. The vocalist, Johnny was like a god, but looked like a demon, covered in spikes and dressed up in leather. The bassist, Christian was a young man who looked like an ex-military gone punk: Short, dark hair, a five-o'clock shadow, dark jeans and a leather jacket, black and blue demon's wings jutting from his shoulderblades. The drummer, Pandora was a young woman with long, white hair and fair skin, adorned in spiderweb print clothing and tattoos.

Then there was Khira, the lead guitarist. She dressed the part well enough, adorned in studs and leather, spikes in all the traditional places, combat boots, the whole nine. She loved the music. But outside of the band, off the stage, she was really very normal - at least outwardly, her plain, brown hair falling undone over her shoulders, her glasses set on her face. The only thing remotely "rock" about her appearance was the fangs she'd had put in much earlier in her 26 years.

The crowd thrashed and writhed like a singular living being when the band performed their set. There is something about being onstage in front of thousands of people that can't help but energize her. Johnny may be the head man, may play to the crowd, but the band as a whole was a force of nature. When Khira picks up her axe and shreds, it's as though time stands still and nothing else exists. Simply put, she was born to play.

But that isn't why she decided to join the band. Not entirely. No, her main reason was far more basic than the love of music.

Watching Johnny perform on stage excited her. It excited her even in the moment, when she should pay attention to her playing, but muscle memory was good. She allowed herself to become mesmerized as they covered "Uprising" by Muse. Her pulse elevated when they played "Blue Monday" by Orgy, watching him move like a serpent. She smirked and laughed inwardly when they performed "The Dope Show" by Marilyn Manson when he may as well have been a stripper. Finally, they ended with "Fascination Street" by The Cure, and Khira had to white-knuckle grip her guitar between notes as the song's lyrics put images in her head.

The last whining note echoed through the amphitheater and the crowd went insane. Pandora tossed her drum sticks out to the mosh pit, and like animals they snatched at them. Khira swiped her tongue against the back of her teeth and smiled wickedly at the spectacle. Like a true showman, Christian extended his wings and gestured favorably to the crowd, earning another surge of adulation. Johnny bowed deeply, letting his bright white mohawk touch the stage before rising again, his glowing orange eyes showing the mirth they always do. Khira dipped her head and waved humbly, then turned and followed her bandmates offstage, handing a roadie her guitar on the way out.

Backstage was a corridor which led to a few other rooms. Her pulse still racing, Khira found the lounge, grabbed a drink and crashed backwards onto the plush couch. Her head sank back onto the cushions and she closed her eyes, smiling, allowing herself to relax.

"Great set today, woman," Christian's voice pierced through the relaxing fog. Khira opened one eye lazily, then inclined her head forward. The winged man was opening his own drink and sat in a cushioned chair in the corner. "Did you see that crowd out there? They went nuts!"

Khira chuckled. "They always do."

Christian sucked in a breath between fanged teeth. "Not always like that, they don't. I think I saw some people get taken out of here on stretchers. I think one guy had a sheet on him!" He smiled mischievously as Khira choked on her own laugh.

"Morbid much?" She wiped her eyes, giggling.

"Always!" He flashed a grin. "Seriously, though. What happened up there?"

"What do you mean?"

Baffled, Christian leaned forward. "What do I mean? Are you joking? Can't see the forest through the trees, can you?" At Khira's quizzical look, he raised his hands up defensively. "Alright, let me put it like this. During your solos, all eyes were on you. All of them. The crowd, the crew, the cameras... Even us."

Her bones chilled.

"It's a good thing! Relax, kid, it isn't like everyone was watching you because you bombed the set."

"Oh good," she said without relief. "I was just so hoping that wasn't the case." She chuckled. "Come on, Christian, I'm no Steve Vai. Nobody cares that much for the guitar."

"No," agreed the bassist, "but for the moment they did." He took another pull on his drink and sighed. "Was it the set list? The music may have changed me, Johnny and Pandora outwardly, but ever since CBGB's, something's gotten into you."

"I wish," mumbled Khira without thinking.

Christian laughed aloud. shaking her out of her moment and causing her to realize her vocalization. "Now what's that supposed to mean? It's the wings, isn't it? Jealous?" He nudged Khira on the arm with a bony wing finger.

"Maybe," Khira exaggerated, pathetically tried to use that decoy, her brilliant grin sending off bad-liar vibes anybody could pick up on.

"Look," Christian said, getting serious for a moment. "If I could get the kinds of reactions you did today, I'd trade that for these vestigial props any day." He smiled at Khira's resigned chuckle and bumped her again with a wing bone. "See? There is a positive side! Just gotta look for it." He stood and stretched, bones popping in his spine. "Ahh. Well, now that that heart-to-heart is over, what's really bothering you?"

Khira opened her mouth to speak, but Pandora walked in, twirling her new drum sticks as she often did after sacrificing the old ones to the crowd, as a sort of ritual. Khira's eyes darted back and forth as Christian greeted his love, though in her mental panic Khira had failed to notice that they had left. As if her head was underwater she had heard Christian say something about catching her later at the afterparty.

"So what _is_ really bothering you?" Khira grit her teeth and closed her eyes. At the other side of the room by the fridge, the green smoky remnants of teleportation surrounded Johnny, who had leaned on the counter and inclined his head as if expecting an answer. "It isn't that you didn't change along with the rest of us, is it?"

"Nope," Khira popped the 'p' in that word. "I'm not that petty."

"No, you're not," agreed the vocalist. "But something is clearly on your mind. You aren't going to freak out and start taking us out with your axe, are you?" His orange eyes narrowed as he grinned wickedly.

Khira shot a look at the man-demon in front of her and smirked. "You never know. Who knows, maybe you're indestructible after the change? How tough is your skin exactly?"

Her Puckish smile faltered when Johnny pushed himself up from the counter and took a few steps towards the guitar player. "Khira," he said in a sort of play-mocking tone, "my skin has spikes sticking right up out of it." Even though she knew that, she still stole a glance at his shoulders and forearms, then closed her eyes for just a short moment. "I think I can handle getting bludgeoned with your guitar, no matter how well you play it."

"Guitar?" She peered at him and stood from the couch as Johnny had made the attempt at towering over her, "I though we were talking about axes?" As she arose from the couch, she was surprised to find that, even when she stood, Johnny was nearly a full head taller than her. Time seemed to stand still when she mock-glared at him, her mischievous smile belying the tension.

Johnny took in a breath, paused, then spoke casually. "You know that sensation you get around people? Sometimes pleasant, sometimes enraging, but always tense?" Khira furrowed her brow, but nodded. "Well. I can see it. I can smell it and feel it."

Khira felt exposed, but held her ground. "This something you haven't shared with the rest of the class?"

"Nope," Johnny shook his head. "You know how Christian hates prying eyes, and Pandora.. I mean, come on, she loves her privacy. If they knew I could, for lack of a better word, 'read' them, they would be pissed off!"

"And, why tell me this?"

"Because it was overwhelming today from you." Johnny hissed and grabbed Khira's wrist. Khira didn't flinch, but her breath did catch in her throat. Her heart slammed against her ribs. The more composed she made herself, the harder it was for her to keep herself outwardly calm. Here, gripping her wrist, staring her down was the reason. "Because it has not subsided since leaving the stage over an hour ago, and because," he paused a moment, "it's gotten stronger since I got here only a moment ago." He lifted Khira's wrist to eye level. "I don't need to feel your pulse to know it's out of control. Hell, I think even Axel would be able to hear it, and he's undead now!"

"What's your point?" Khira bit off the sentence, jerked her wrist free, became irritated with this winding path to whatever Johnny's point happened to be. There was still a chance he hadn't found her out, and she was sick of hanging.

Upon her release, Johnny growled and stepped ever closer to his bandmate, glowering down at her, the tips of his mohawk reaching up above Khira's head. "The thing is," he said, his voice edgy, slowly inching forward, "it isn't a _bad_ sensation. Strong, but not bad." He sighed inaudibly when his torso pressed flush against Khira who stood, almost shaking, her eyes closing briefly. "Intoxicating."

Setting her jaw, Khira forced herself to look at Johnny, though her vision was blurry around the edges, her breath coming in short, soft, shaky bursts. "It takes quite a lot to get you drunk, Johnny," she chuckled. "Even pre-change, Axel had a hell of a time trying to keep up."

"I know," he smirked. "Poor bastard had to be carried back to bed." His eyes flashed with something not quite identifiable by Khira. "But that sort of energy you were putting off today floored everyone. _Everyone_. Even Pandora nearly lost her beat for a moment, but after that shock, I mean..." He sighed again and chuckled. "My point is, something happened to you. It's been building over these last few months. Since the change, I mean." He peered at Khira.

"Yes, I guess it has," she shivered involuntarily as his body moved with the chuckle. She smirked and swiped her tongue over her teeth quickly. "Johnny, I may look plain once all the rock gear is taken away, but," she snarled and leaned upwards, pressing her frame against his, "my tastes are far from it."

"Clearly!" Johnny smirked as finally Khira began to emerge from her maddening shyness. He allowed his hands to creep up her sides. "You would think post-change I'd have repulsed most women."

"You'd think," she repeated. "Personally? I prefer this to pre-change Johnny," she ran a hand gingerly down his spiked forearm, delighting in the sensation.

Johnny's grin nearly split his face in two. "You _do _have strange tastes," he chided, grasping Khira's sides firmly and spiriting them away to a more private place.

Khira had blinked and was suddenly in her own hotel room. What's more, she was briefly disoriented, having only a second before had Johnny standing in front of her. Before she could look around, a force grasped her from behind, pushing her forward and firmly against a wall. A leather-clad grey-green hand anchored itself on the wall next to Khira, who had panicked briefly until recognizing that hand. Johnny growled gutturally near Khira's ear as he pressed against her, pinning her to the wall.

Khira chuckled darkly. If ever there was another shred of shyness, it burned away with that one action. She shuddered as the other hand ran down her thigh, then up over her hip, resting there and holding Khira in place as Johnny ground hard against her, eliciting a groan from the man-demon and a soft gasp from the woman.

In a sudden motion, Khira felt herself being pressed hard against the wall, then pried from it and pulled against Johnny's form. He chuckled darkly at the woman as she writhed against him. "Eager?" He grazed his lips gently against her shoulder and the crook of her neck, belying the violent, lustful instincts just below the surface for both of them.

"Seems I'm not the only one," she growled, pressing her butt against him, feeling his 'eagerness.'

"No, you're definitely right about that," he wrapped his arms possessively around her at the waist and shoulders, then lightly bit the side of her neck. Khira sucked a breath through her teeth, every fiber of her being screaming at her to do something besides just stand there. She grasped Johnny's wrist just above the forearm and wrenched herself free from his hold, pivoting sharply to face him.

This was either a very big mistake or the best thing she could have done. Johnny was leering down at her, his spikes bristling. His impish smirk showed Khira that this wasn't some groupie conquest. No, in his mind, she was a rival, someone to be contested. This wasn't a hunt, where one party destroyed the other. It was more like fire and steel, one tempering the other. But who was which?

Khira broadened her stance and bent her knees just slightly in a sort of mock threat, chuckling devilishly when Johnny tipped his head quizically. "Interesting," he drew out, rolling his neck, then inclining his head and assuming a similar posture, body lowered, arms and legs bent, spring-loaded for both absorption and propulsion.

The sight of this caused Khira's heart to thrill, a small burst of adrenaline shocking her system. The two hung in tension for a moment, each tensing and relaxing alternatively, trying to startle or shake the other. Khira's vicious smile was the precursor to her first move, lunging forward and clashing with Johnny, who in his quick reflexes saw her twitch before moving. While locked in a Greco-Roman style of grappling, Khira hissed, "I'm not your groupie." She glared at him over the top of her glasses, eyes wide and lip curled up in a snarl.

"I never thought you were," Johnny said in a maddeningly casual tone, his trademark smirk ever present on his features. With remarkable restraint and control, he edged forward, just enough to speak directly against Khira's ear, "You're already more fun." He chuckled lowly as Khira struggled momentarily, then he went rigid as a jolt shot through his nerves. Khira's clever tongue had found the spot just behind his ear and it caught him off guard, his knees buckling just a little. He paused, then drew back to find Khira's predatory stare aimed right at him. "Playing dirty? Fine." He chortled and disappeared, Khira losing her balance and stumbling forward. While she was regaining her balance, Johnny reappeared in front of her and hoisted her up just below her neck. He snarled dominantly, slamming her to the bed and holding her firmly there.

Khira glared defiantly up at Johnny as he pinned her single-handedly to the mattress. She grasped at his hand and elbow, unable to get leverage as he'd positioned his body to the side. He leaned down dangerously, his brilliant orange eyes peering straight into her blues. "Oh, my. You do have strange tastes." He smirked as she writhed to escape his grasp. "Ah-ah. No." He waited for her struggling to subside. "No," he ended. Khira growled, but her body language was resigned. Her breathing was fast, eyes wide and defiant even in this setback. "There's a good girl." Johnny stole a savage kiss, rumbling deeply when Khira reciporcates, lips and tongues combating, teeth crashing together. He pulled back just as suddenly as he advanced, standing up straight, but keeping his hand firmly against the base of Khira's neck. He turned slightly away from her, looking down at her with one eye, his smile turning almost into a sneer as he felt her pulse pounding wildly.

"Worked up already?" He teased her, earning himself another brief struggle.

Khira scoffed aloud. "You can feel, see, and smell energies, but you can't tell whether or not I'm worked up?" She grasped the wrist of the hand holding her down and buckled his elbow, folding his arm in and subsequently bringing him down to her as she pulled herself up. Johnny, playing fair for a bit, allowed himself to be handled, though pulled against the hold enough to make Khira work for his attention. "Wouldn't you like it if I were so worked up this easily?" She breathed the words to him, her razor grin earning her a stunned stare from her bandmate. She twisted and brought him down, his back to the mattress.

"Nice try, little girl," he sneered, his free hand clasping a fistful of her hair and wrenching just enough to get her attention. Khira's pupils dilated and she froze, but didn't let go of Johnny's arm, holding it firmly against her chest, which rose and fell with each defiant breath. The edges of some of his spikes started biting into her already thin shirt, pressing against her skin. Johnny tried to sit up slowly, but Khira growled and kept her firm hold, rolling into it just slightly, shoving Johnny back down. She let go of the arm and moved swiftly to hold his shoulders down. Even with her hair still in his fist, she managed to gain somewhat of an advantage. "Oh," Johnny bared his teeth in a demon grin, "you shouldn't have done that."

In one quick movement, Johnny swept Khira up and put her back to the mattress, then moved to straddle her waist, releasing her hair only when he was comfortably in the dominant position. He crossed his arms and sighed, tsk'ing and shaking his head. "You're being nice. I know you're holding back." Johnny began to rock back and forth, watching as Khira, for the most part free to move her arms and legs, froze for a moment. "Or," he ventured a guess, "maybe that's your intent?"

"Maybe it is," she conceded, her arms resting above her head, her abdomen and thighs still tense in fight-or-flight mode.

"Shame," he whispered, leaning down and reaching above Khira's head with one hand to hold her hands in place. He cupped her cheek with his free hand and stared intently into her eyes. "I was just getting started." Khira shivered involuntarily, tried to hide it by squirming beneath Johnny who, calling her bluff, darted his tongue out against the shell of her ear. When her jaw fell slack for less than a second, Johnny whispered to her, "And that's just your ear." He sent his tongue out again over the same spot, this time languishing. He steeled himself against the intense wave of sensation this elicited from Khira, who had bitten the inside of her own lip to stifle a helpless moan. He growled his appreciation for this and continued to speak quietly into her ear, "We're rock stars. This, here, right now? This is what we do. We know the right places, the right timing, the right words. I know how to make a groupie shatter in my hands. But you," he chuckled, "you'll be a challenge. Oh, yes."

"How do you figure?" Khira growled to Johnny, scraping together desperately her last shreds of self control. "I'm a female of the species. I have the same nerves, same parts, same everything."

"Nnn, that's where you're wrong." He reared back up and released Khira's arms. "By now I'd have finished ten groupies off. Their energy is mild at best. Like weak coffee. You get a little buzz, but the rush just isn't there." He slid down and repositioned, settling down over Khira, pressing his groin flush against hers. Johnny shuddered heavily. "Even still clothed, here, against you, I get a rush so much bigger than with those playthings."

Khira whimpered inaudibly, arched her back and pressed against Johnny involuntarily. Her mind was getting fuzzy around the edges. "Ten groupies? Mm, quite the little bunny, aren't we?" She delighted in his hesitation. "Oh do say you won't be done quite so quickly today." She smiled sweetly, though there was an evil little glint in her eye. She reached up and brushed her fingers against his hair, traced the edge of his ear with her fingernails.

Johnny barked a laugh at her comment, jaw slamming shut in a grin as he rested his form down onto hers. "My dear, don't write checks you can't cash," he warned dangerously.

"I'm not," she said seriously, her gaze unwavering as she stared straight into his eyes. "I can take whatever you can dish."

"Good," he abbreviated with a solid grinding motion, rotating his hips and pressing against Khira, who set her jaw at the shocks running through her core. "Because the sensations only climb from here."

"Fuck, yes," she growled, reciporcating the grind. For a moment, they lay together, fully clothed, simulating sex, Khira's head dropped back against the mattress, Johnny's bowed against her shoulder, growls and moans, shaky breaths filling the air. Through grit teeth, Khira hissed "I love the smell of your leather."

Johnny growled, "The way you shred on stage excites me."

Khira let herself give a quick moan. "Excites you how?"

"Gets me so fucking high I want to tear you to shreds right there on the platform." Johnny was beginning to lose composure, lifted his upper body off of Khira and glowered down at her, watching her reactions before she looked back at him. "I bet the smell of my leather doesn't quite do that for you?"

Khira dug her nails into Johnny's leather vest, gripping at his sides as she glared at him. "No. But gods help me if I don't sometimes wish I was your microphone stand."

"Ah-ha, I knew it!" Johnny smirked, slowed the grind and leaned down again, barely touching the tip of his tongue to Khira's lips. "This entire room feels exactly the way you did today during the set. So tell me something, Khira," he spoke lowly, drawing back a little when Khira tried to nip at his tongue, "is it about the music, or something else?"

Khira's lips curled into a wicked smile. She pressed her knees firmly against his sides, grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down, breathed to him, "That is something to be tested." She ran her tongue along a row of Johnny's teeth, never once closing her eyes, thrilled to find he didn't close his either.

Johnny grabbed Khira and rolled over, pulling her on top of him and switching their positions, with new leverage pressing and rotating against her. His hands moved from her sides up to her breasts, feeling them through the fabric. He felt fire in his veins when Khira moved her hands over his and helped him to squeeze them, allowing himself to groan and shudder. "Fuck, Khira," he hissed, closing his eyes and feeling every movement in her from her breasts and thighs.

With a deceptively even tone, Khira spoke, "Yeah. What is it?" When Johnny opened his eyes, he saw her looking down at him, face flushed, lips puffy, but her gaze predatory.

He snarled and sat up, one hand steadying him on the bed, the other grasping the back of her neck and pulling her close. He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it, instead throwing her down to the mattress on her back. He stood at the edge of the bed and made very quick work of her boots. His breath was even, but fast as he saw his bandmate, who looked on, content to watch him. It slowed in the moment, however, as he reached over, looking Khira squarely in the eye as he grasped the hem of her pants and panties and peeled them away. His knees buckled and he allowed himself to hit the ground. His rough hands slid up Khira's thighs and settled on her hips as he drew himself up.

Khira protested. "No, no. No. We just did a whole set. I-" Her mind went blank as Johnny swept his tongue directly up the middle of her sex.

Johnny rumbled deeply. "Relax." He thought he heard a weak 'okay' come from her when he slid his tongue up and down, then drew circle patterns around her clit. Khira had fallen silent, only tiny gasps coming from her. Her thighs were tensed, and to ease that he brought one hand down, pushed one, then two fingers into her entrance and began working a rhythm. Khira's gasps became mewls and keens. No longer concerned with their previous endeavor, she felt her hand grasp the sheets tightly, a pressure and warmth growing from her core. Khira glanced down to see Johnny focused on his task. She felt his hot breath against her as he chuckled. "What was that about a set?"

Khira was dazed as Johnny abruptly stopped his attentions to talk. "Nothing, if it doesn't bother you," she shuddered, hard, her entire body starving for climax.

Johnny chuckled again and let those two fingers rub up and down the outside of her sex. "Nope." He suddenly shuddered heavily. "No more games." He knelt on the mattress, pushed his fingers in again and kept stroking, in and out, watching Khira's expression. She, too was sick of this coy crap. He was pleased to find she had shed her top somehow while he was occupied. "Good gods, you're ready."

Khira shivered. "It's been a lot longer than you think." Her eyes closed as she gasped when his fingers hit a particularly sensitive spot.

Johnny pulled her up to sitting and he growled into her ear, "I fucking want you, Khira. In the worst fucking way, I want to grind and bump and lick and _fuck you_ into oblivion." He emphasized his point by twisting his fingers within her, causing her to give a brief, if heartfelt scream of pleasure. It washed over Johnny like a tidal wave, and he pulled back enough to undo his pants and free his aching hard cock.

Dizzy with pleasure, Khira reached out and began stroking him, squeezing and twisting gently in time with his fingers inside of her. Johnny's hips bucked at first contact, his body rigid for that moment as tiny bolts of lightning shot up and down his spine. "Then do it. I want you to do it. Fuck me to death if you have to but for gods' sake, just _fuck me_!"

Her demands were met with a humorless laugh as Khira found herself being lifted and turned onto her belly, then hoisted by her hips with her backside against Johnny's hips. Their sexes slid together, slick and hot, and with a little guidance from Khira's hand, Johnny's cock forced its way into Khira's waiting depths. Johnny groaned heatedly as Khira gave a quiet, but intense outcry when he filled her up. He placed his hands firmly on her hips and began rocking back and forth, slow at first, getting a pattern down so he could focus.

Khira clawed at the sheets under her, her teeth grit as she growled out loud, then gasped and moaned hotly against the mattress. Johnny propped his knee up on one side of the bed, the arm on the same side curling around Khira's waist. Incomprehensible thoughts shot through Khira's mind as Johnny leaned into her, his hot, rhythmic breath on the back of her neck signaling he had something to say, but was holding back.

"Yeah.. Yeah, like that.. Oh.. Oh gods, right there," she encouraged him between moans and gasps. A dull ache within her center began to throb as her climax rapidly approached.

Johnny gave a predatory laugh, low and quiet, but right against her neck by her ear. He didn't say anything, but instead, without completely disconnecting from her, pulled her so she was lying on her side, bringing one leg up to rest on his left shoulder, away from the spikes. The sight of Khira like this, sprawled naked in front of him, breasts bouncing, face flushed and screwed up, made Johnny lose his rhythm for a moment. He used one hand to steady her hip and the other the leg on his shoudler, slowing the pace down, giving deep, powerful thrusts, rolling his hips at the end of each one. With every thrust he earned a yelp, moan or outcry from Khira, who no longer seemed to care about modesty or embarrassment.

Johnny grit his teeth and ground up hard into Khira one final time, making her shout in orgasm, tiny pinpoints of light dotting his vision as he rode out her climax, pulse after fluttering pulse. He waited, allowing her time to come down before pulling out of her. He shivered as cold air hit moist skin, then torned and fell backwards onto the bed. Khira needed no instruction, immediately set to straddle the demon-man, sinking down onto him with as much effort as had taken before. This new angle gave her stronger sensations, and she shuddered hard as she ground down against him.

His hands placed firmly at Khira's sides, Johnny guided her up and down as he thrust deeply. He let his head fall back to the mattress and closed his eyes, his breath shaky and deep. Instinct began to take over as he felt the need for release devouring him. After a few more thrusts, he did a half-sit-up as he steadied Khira in one spot.

Johnny began to drill Khira with all the strength and fury he could muster, all self-control gone. He stared intently into the face of his bandmate, hearing her screams fill the room, feeling the sensations like a storm's fury. He grit his teeth and held on, causing Khira to twist and cry out, screaming for him as he gave her wave after delirious wave of soul-shattering orgasms, until finally he threw his head back. Stars exploded in his vision as his body was wracked with a back-breaking climax, hearing himself growl and groan loudly.

Khira quaked a moment longer before she went boneless. Made stupid with pleasure, Khira had unquestioningly leaned forward and rested her head against Johnny's neck. Even after everything was done and the final pulsation shook through both their bodies, Khira still felt like she was shot into orbit. Johnny rested his hands on her back and backside, panting to catch his breath.

"I can't move," Khira chuckled weakly to the vocalist. "Your bone took away all my bones."

Johnny smirked lazily. "So, it was good then?"

"Better than ten groupies good, I hope!" Khira lifted her head to smirk at Johnny, but his eyes were shut anyway. Her head dropped again.

"Much, much better..." Johnny sighed heavily, relaxing.

"You know, we ought to at least get re-situated. My legs are falling asleep, and then you'll have to lift me off yourself."

"Mmm, alright," Johnny agreed reluctantly as he felt her indeed lift herself off of him. "Screw the mess. It'll go away."

Khira nodded and sighed, plopping back down next to Johnny. "You've set the bar, you know."

Johnny lifted his head and looked at Khira out of one lazy eye. "Hmm?"

"What? You didn't think after this it'd be a one-time thing, did you?"

Johnny chuckled. "That _would_ be stupid... "

"Glad we agree." Khira curled up on the bed. Eventually, Johnny decided it was safe enough to curl up with her as she didn't throw him out of the room. Though neither of them looked particularly cuddly, they definitely looked and felt comfortable, passing out minutes after their agreement.

****

**A/N 2: Depending on reviews I may or may not write another one.**


	2. The Morning After

**A/N: Alright, so there aren't any R/R going on, but I felt compelled to add to this story. :P It's got its hooks in me!**

**WARNING: Some unconventional roughness. Less fluffy than last chapter by virtue of how one might restrain one's partner without cuffs or a rope. Also some very mild choking, maybe some slapping. I wrote the warning before the chapter, so there ya go. :) Anyway, you've been warned. :)**

Loud banging on her hotel room door jolted Khira out of a sound sleep. She inhaled and stretched, groped around the night stand to find her glasses and set them on her face. Muffled by the door, Christian shouted "Get a move on, woman! We got shit to do!"

Khira growled in protest. "Fuck off, Christian!" Her tone signified irritation, but concession. "Jesus Christ, will you let me shower? What the fuck time is it, anyway!" She rubbed her face, trying to wake up, her mind slowly catching up with her body.

From somewhere behind her an object sailed through the air and crashed into the door, eliciting a curse from Christian and startling Khira out of her irritation at being awakened. Glaring out of one opened eye, Johnny looked as displeased as she felt. She also became in that moment keenly aware of just how unsheltered she was. When she went to cover herself with the sheets, Johnny grumbled, "Ten."

Her sharp wit took over. "Why, thank you!" Khira beamed proudly in exaggerated smartassery. 

"... yes. But I mean ten, as in o'clock. In the morning." Johnny turned over onto his back and stretched, shaking at the end with the effort. "Christian's going to find himself confused in a dark alley somewhere if he isn't careful."

"I heard that!" Christian was still at the door. "... Maybe I should come back later, " he stated the obvious. On the other side of the door, Christian was in just his boxers. He made a habit of trying to wake up everyone way too early, as a sort of gag that got old a very long time ago. From within the room he heard two very angry voices cursing at him. He never gets this sort of reaction. Laughing aloud, he slammed both of his palms against the door. "Keep it down in there, we can hear you down the hall!" He then ran for his life, giggling like a little boy. He never got chased, but he did recognize both voices, and he'd have plenty of ammo to use to get a rise out of them later.

Khira shut her eyes and sighed. "What a dick," she said simply.

"Why thank you!" Johnny took his turn with smartassery, striking a pose, cupping himself. Khira lifted her eyebrows as if to say, 'Really, dude? Really?' But couldn't stifle her grin entirely.

She smirked down at Johnny and leaned over, her hand creeping up his leg. "Not that you're any stranger to such things, I'm sure," she spoke, her eyes staying on her own hand, "but the others - They _are_ going to talk." She lightly pressed her fingertips against the back of Johnny's hand - the one cupping his groin.

"Is that a problem?" Johnny craned his neck forward so he could look at Khira, whose attention was decidedly divided.

Khira lifted her head and her gaze burned directly into Johnny's. "Quite the opposite." The corners of her lips curled into a falsely-shy grin. She then looked down again and touched the tip of her tongue against the back of his hand, closing her teeth gently and briefly over the edge of the fingerless glove. She chuckled as Johnny became perfectly still, as if moving would make her stop. "I find the idea exciting." Her clever fingers slid against his inner thigh, squeezing gently and pressing against the crook of his leg. Johnny watched with burning intensity, still reclined, propped up a little on his elbow. He exhaled roughly and quietly as Khira's tongue snuck between his fingers and pressed against the front of his pants. His hips twitched almost invisibly, his eyes closing momentarily.

Slowly withdrawing his cupped hand, Johnny brought said hand up to brush against the side of Khira's head. Khira crawled forward enough to settle against Johnny's legs, leaning her head down and mouthing the growing bulge at their apex. She nuzzled against it gently, but with an apparent spring-loaded amorosity that welded Johnny in place.

Khira pushed herself up on her elbows, her breasts settling against the base of his groin. Smiling wickedly, she dipped her head and ran the tip of her tongue slowly, though none too gently along Johnny's length. She was pleased when his hips rose just a little, trying to get that much more surface contact. As she reached the tip, she pressed the blade of her tongue hard against that straining bulge, letting her tongue trip over it as she finished the trail. Johnny growled softly when the contact ended, electricity centering from his groin and shooting out to his limbs and heart. His gloves creaked just a little as he tried to stop himself becoming overly reactive by clutching at the sheet for only a moment.

Chuckling darkly, Khira could feel the tension growing. Johnny's hand grasped the sheets, and the sound of the leather creaking made her shiver inwardly. The front of her belly and thighs began to tingle while mental images of the filthy things they could be doing shot through her mind. She smiled viciously, though was surprised when Johnny began to laugh the evil laugh she had felt welling up inside. It made her impish smile that much more intense. She chuckled lowly, then crawled up and leaned down to whisper to Johnny, "I need a shower." She nipped lightly at the ridge of his ear, making him close his brilliant eyes. "Do try and think of something to do while I'm in there." She pulled back and winked when he looked at her, a mix of baffle and mischief present. She laughed and stood, still stark naked, then turned and walked casually to the bathroom.

The door only closed most of the way. It was open a crack. She had done this intentionally.

Johnny, smirking to himself, waited while she turned on the water. Steam began to wisp through the crack in the doorway. Khira was taking her time, as though giving him every opportunity to walk in, to peek, to suddenly appear as he had the night previous and pin her against the countertop. Johnny shuddered and felt his own hand moving to rub his very erect cock through his still-closed pants, gritting his teeth as he caused himself both agony and ecstacy.

In the bathroom, Khira was beginning to feel irritated. She had given Johnny all the chances she would to come in before she stepped into the very hot shower. Deciding to play this little game of chicken Johnny had initiated, she decided to go ahead into the shower.

The stall was very large, big enough for her to outstretch her arms and spin in a circle without hitting any of the red-tiled walls. The shower head poured pleasantly-pressured hot water down at an angle onto her small frame, turning her fair skin pink very quickly. Khira sighed, tilting her head back and letting the water fall through her hair and down her back. She almost entrely forgot about the game she was playing with Johnny and began enjoying the steam, the water, turning and thoroughly soaking her skin. She'd lathered, cleaned up and nearly finished before she'd realized the door had clicked shut. She paused, eyeballed the shower curtain for shadows.

Large hands pressed against her shoulders, gripping at them not quite gently, but without the ardent fervor of the previous night. Khira smiled, despite herself, not expecting anything remotely gentle from Johnny. She tilted her head and looked back over her shoulder, noting none of Johnny's attire had followed him into the shower. "You just poof out of those?" She chuckled.

"Yes, I did." Johnny's demeanor showed very strictly controlled actions. He was clearly ready to go, and as Khira turned to face him, something didn't seem quite right.

"Yeah, but.." She motioned with her hand an invisible mohawk above her own head. Johnny's spikes hadn't even wilted in the face of sex, sleep or even the shower jets. She made another motion as if to say, 'what's going on here?'

"Plates, not hair." He tapped the front of his mohawk, smirked. "Permanent. Well, unless I have a very bloody accident."

"Nice." Khira smiled approvingly, advanced forward and pressed her form against Johnny's, brushing her fingers against the plates. Johnny, not used to this gentleness, gripped Khira firmly against him, growled and stared dangerously down at her, his mannerism suddenly much more familiar to Khira. She smirked inwardly, pulled against his hold, her body stiffened in defiance. She stared back up at her captor, licked her lips subtlely and chuckled. "Did I touch a nerve?"

Johnny pushed forward and pinned her to the wall, rolled his neck and hissed. "No, and that's a problem." His eyes flashed briefly with mirth as he used his body to hold Khira to the wall. He chuckled humorlessly as Khira's lip curled into a snarl, his frame crushed against hers, making it somewhat difficult for her to breathe. He pulled his upper body back a touch and smirked down at his captive audience. One hand brushed down her cheek, over her lips, then down her neck, resting with the crook of his hand against the column of her throat. Khira's eyes were defiant, but Johnny knew, she was intrigued. She growled lowly, struggled for a brief moment, earning herself a light, steady squeeze around her wind pipe. The air had not been cut off, but was restricted just enough to thrill Khira.

Playing the struggle, Khira grasped at Johnny's wrist and squirmed against his weight. She was getting light-headed, but she found this not entirely unpleasant. Her eyes met Johnny's in defiance for less than a second before her hand shot out, off of Johnny's wrist and closing on his throat. She was shaking a little and she smirked as Johnny gave her a mock shocked look. "I can play too," she said plainly, shuddering as she felt Johnny's pulse through his neck.

Straining against Khira's arguably weak grip, Johnny leaned forward and tightened his grip, forcibly bringing her close, their noses nearly touching. Khira grunted as she found herself briefly unable to breathe. She began to feel panic set in, but she remained level-headed, staring Johnny in the eyes. He released his grip, grabbed her wrist and pried her hand away from his throat. "I know you can," he smiled. "But you're in over your head here."

"Yeah, yeah," she said with a slight cough, trying to mask it as a throat clearing. "I'm just a human female. I couldn't possibly handle you. Am I right?" Her eyes darkened, her tongue tip gliding against the edge of her teeth.

"Until you've proven otherwise, yes," Johnny reiterated by leaning in slowly, closing his teeth down against the skin of her shoulder. Khira gasped, found herself tilting her head away so he could have better access. She bit off a gentle groan as Johnny's tongue passed over the bite mark which, despite the thrill Khira experienced, had begun to bleed.

Khira squirmed again. Even though they had done so little, she had become worked up. The aggression felt natural to her, being marked, controlled, even if it was just a game. "Do it again," she spoke dangerously, bristling as Johnny's grin spread across his grey-green face. He complied, this time gripping Khira's waist and pressing against her body, mimicking her squirms with his own. He felt his teeth strike against Khira's collarbone, eliciting from her a sharp gasp and a jolt of sensation which took Johnny by surprise.

She liked that. She liked that a lot.

Opportunistic, Johnny leaned in and gave a long, slow, pressured bite against the bone, breaking the skin only just. Khira whimpered, her hands grasping Johnny's arms. He chuckled as he ran his tongue against the wound, "You like getting bitten?" He said it as a statement more than a question.

Khira shivered. "Apparently so."

"Want to find out where else you like to be bitten?"

At her enthusiastic, though low-key affirmation, Johnny gave an approving rumble, chuckled predatorially and closed in for a deep, sensual kiss. This was hunger, not aggression, as the two writhed together, growls and moans escaping from between their lips. They devoured each other, Khira clawing at Johnny's chest and shoulders, Johnny wrapping an arm around her waist as the other hand anchors him to the wall. He got dizzy, consumed, this early on wanting Khira. This was strange for him, and he broke the kiss abruptly, both of them gasping for breath.

Johnny played it off, smiling and nipping lightly at Khira's lower lip. His hand snuck up Khira's side and had rested, cupping one of Khira's breast. He shut his eyes momentarily, then dipped his head and ran his tongue roughly over the pink, puckered nipple. Khira growled in approval, then went tense as Johnny's expert teeth bit lightly at that sensitive skin. He lingered, didn't let go right away, causing Khira to arch her back, pressing against the bite. He rubbed his tongue against the flesh between his teeth, his hips rolling involuntarily at Khira's movements. He shuddered, unable to stop himself, then released the nipple.

Without so much as looking Khira in the eye, Johnny knelt down, tested the curve in her side. He gave just a light bite, but it caused Khira to squeal in pleasure. A surprising force of energy poured off of Khira in that moment, making Johnny shiver, despite the very warm water falling on and around them.

Khira looked down at Johnny, her gaze heavy, watching him even if he was not watching her. The side bite surprised her, too, and she wanted desperately for him to do it again. She was not disappointed as Johnny confirmed with another, longer, drawn-out bite. Khira's body jolted and she groaned heavily. She tensely breathed his name, her head tilted back, her pulse hammering in her veins.

He ended the prolonged bite, sucked in a deep breath between his teeth and growled as he arose, the look in his eyes probing, starving, determined.

Khira saw this look and immediately knew now was not the time for games. Not this second, anyway. She obeyed the silent command, falling to her knees before Johnny, watching his expression as she knelt in front of him. His expression was stern, even authoritative, and while Khira did not particularly like authority, she made an exception here.

Johnny gathered some of Khira's hair in his fist and held her, though a loose hold, as she began her ministrations. She dipped her head down, the tip of her tongue tracing his length. He tried very hard not to buck, and was met with some small success. He strained for more contact, pulling Khira closer.

He became delerious quickly with Khira's work, her mouth teasing him, the blade of her tongue rubbing against him. His breath became short and sporadic, signaling to Khira he was ready for better. She licked her lips and pressed them against the tip, pushing herself down against him slowly. Johnny grit his teeth as she swallowed him down, then withdrew, then down again, with each stroke bringing him into her mouth and throat a little further.

"Fuck.." Khira thought she heard Johnny say something, but paid no mind as she began increasing her tempo, her tongue rubbing against his flesh, her lips gliding wetly up and down his shaft. She allowed one hand to come up and stroke his balls gently. Johnny growl-groaned and tilted his head back, gently moving his hips in time with Khira's ministrations. "Fuck," Johnny said again heatedly, having made the mistake of looking down to see Khira thoroughly engaged in her task.

He pulled her off of him, breathing raggedly. She looked at him, quizzical. Her face was gorgeous, her lips all puffy and slightly bruised from both savage kiss and killer oral. She was clearly very turned on.

"Get down." He instructed Khira to lie in the floor of the shower. Before she could even rest her butt on the floor, Johnny had moved to cover her body with his. He growled possessively as he kissed her again, technique erratic,

Khira breathed heavily, held Johnny's head in place with both hands and pierced his glower with her own. She began to speak, but was immediately cut off as Johnny's very hard flesh throbbed against her folds. She whimpered. She wanted him, now, and she could see he was already on edge.

She grasped hold of his head and brought him down, moving to bite and lick the edge of his ear. Johnny growled hotly, his hips rolling involuntarily, his tip finding its way just between her slick, hot folds. She spread her thighs apart, granting him better access, which he greedily accepted.

Khira threw her head back and moaned in a relatively high pitch. Johnny rocked back and forth, gently settling their sexes together. He gave only a second or two before desire overtook him. With animal lust and drive, Johnny began immediately pistoning into and out of Khira, who cried out desperate, feverish calls. She held on for dear life, clawing at Johnny's back, her heels planted firmly on the ground as she lifted her hips against the ever-so-welcome assault. In a haze, she could hear herself begging Johnny to keep going.

Johnny chuckled darkly, pushing himself up just slightly, getting a new angle against Khira. Her cries became higher in pitch, and his back began to sting from the scratch marks. It spurred him on, and as he leaned down again, grasping Khira's hips and pressing hard into her, he bit at her collarbone again.

Khira shattered into a million pieces, howling out as stars burst into her field of vision. Smug and proud, Johnny propped himself up on one hand while the other gathered her upper body to him. He needed this orgasm. Johnny threw back his head and set his jaw, shuddering heavily, his body spasming as release ripped through his body. He made no sound, though exhaled sharply and shakily as wave after wave of pleasure destroyed him.

The two lay, panting for a moment as they recovered. The shower water stayed warm. Khira chuckled tiredly. "Thank the gods for tankless water heaters."

"Yeah," Johnny chuckled. He sighed, rested his forehead on her shoulder for a second before pulling out of Khira and standing, offering her help, which she uncharacteristically accepted. "Shower. Great cleanup."

Khira giggled. "Always worried about the cleanup."

A quick wash and rinse was all it took for them to get "clean" again.

"Uh." Johnny started once they'd began to dress. "Christian knows I'm here."

"Yes, that happens when you talk while he's behind a very thin door."

"He's going to give us crap."

"Do you care?"

"Nope!"

Khira puzzled. "Then why say anything?"

Johnny smirked. "I'm looking forward to the smarmy comments."

Khira gave a wicked smile. "Going to try and out-perv him, are you?" 

"Hells yes! Since Pandora won't let him talk about their endeavors, he can't say much."

"We'll see about that." Khira's wicked smile broadened. "Maybe he'll end up spilling after all. Maybe we can get Pandora to kick his ass!"

Johnny smirked. "Maybe. Still, more than likely it'll be a great conversation or six."

"Well, won't be long now. We've gotta go." She saw the time, heard the tour bus honking. "Damn." She sighed, but couldn't stop grinning. The next few hours would be fun indeed.


	3. Explanation

**A/N: I know it's been a while. I've been medicated. :P So writer's block has been prevalent. This one will be less explicit than the last two. No worries, it isn't over yet!**

There's no such thing as a walk of shame when it comes to Johnny. Coincidentally, the same went for Khira. Their speedy walk to the tour bus was shameless, even nonchalant, even as they are greeted by Christian's knowing smirk.

"You kids have fun?" Christian was looking for a rise out of either party, his eyes glinting with restrained mischief.

Before Johnny could lay into Christian for being a nosy little twat, Khira leaned close to Christian and said in a low tone, slowly shaking her head as she spoke, "You have no idea." She drew herself back up like a coiled snake and gave a razor grin as Christian began to balk. She looked over her shoulder at a slightly dumbfounded Johnny and subtlely gestured towards the slack-jawed Christian. "He's easy. It's Pandora we should worry about. No offense," she winked at Christian. "But your girlfriend asks the prying questions. You're all innuendo."

Feigning indignity, Christian huffed and crossed his arms. "Am not."

Khira laughed, pushed the bassist playfully. "Relax. You're still the funny one."

Christian beamed a thank-you and exaggeratedly skipped away - towards Pandora, in the next partition of the tour bus.

"Okay, so what do we say?" Johnny was incredulous. "I'm comfortable with details."

"So am I."

"Then let Pandora ask." Johnny smiled impishly. "I wonder if she'll squirm like Christian did. God, that was way too easy with him, wasn't it?"

"It was! But I've known him for years, since before the band. I know which buttons to push. I know what answers he doesn't want. And I know Pandora will ask all the right questions to make him squirm. She'll be an unwitting accomplice."

"Jeez, you are devious, aren't you?" Johnny lightly wet his lips, moved toward Khira casually, then rested his hands on her sides and drew her in for a light, restrained kiss, with very little in the way of force, but loaded with pretense. Khira shivered appreciatively.

"I knew it!" Pandora shocked the two out of their moment and she laughed aloud. "No no, don't stop on my account. This is killer material for the tour book!"

Khira sighed and bowed her head, then chuckled. "Yes, Pandora, you knew it. Congratulations, you're psychic."

"Please, I knew before both of you did. It's about damned time!" She kicked up a chair and sat down, crossing her ankles, her arms, and inclining her head. "Well, I'm waiting. Answers?"

"True, false, C, 42, 1984." Johnny rattled off exam answers and only stopped when poked by Christian's wing finger.

"For me, it was after the change." Khira got serious for a moment, which caused the band members to get briefly uncomfortable. They all changed and she hadn't, and for the first few months it had been very hard on her. "Before, Johnny was a jerk. Sorry, but you were," she apologized to Johnny before continuing. "But after, it's like he changed entirely. He didn't care about anything but the music. He didn't care if a song was covered, as long as it sounded good. He was less worried with what others thought and was far less confrontational. He became more ... I don't know, laid back. He takes the music seriously, but still has fun with it. Everything else? Fleeting and brief."

"Yeah, but... Look at him! No offense," Pandora apologized to Johnny, who raised a hand in dismissal.

"It's a different look, certainly," Khira said, "but it works for me. I've always been into leather and spikes and rivets, and come on, mohawks are hot. And his eyes? They literally look like they're burning. Screw a smoulder, just look at that!" Pandora did, starng sharply at Johnny's eyes, which made him stare back. Pandora considered this and nodded.

"Go on," she said, apparently interested in the story of 'why Johnny.'

"I'm not immune to the allure of the rock star, you know. I'm a guitar player. I have my share of fans. But the pure athleticism and show of passion when Johnny performs, after the change, just shocked the hell out of me. It made me forget that I felt slighted by the rock gods. It gave me an incredibly positive feeling of connection, of drawn-ness."

"You were horny," Christian butted in.

"Yes." Khira was honest. "But it was more than that. I know better. I know better than to fall into that trap that groupies fall into. Why do you think I waited so long to make any kind of move?"

"'Cuz you're chicken!" Christian started acting like a chicken, clucking and flapping his elbows.

"Careful or your wings will be in a deep fryer!" Johnny shot a look at Christian. He was tired of the interruptions, also very interested in the 'why Johnny' story. Christian took it upon himself to sit down before somebody saw fit to sit him down.

"Oh, and he's protective!" Pandora smirked at Johnny who showed no signs of humiliation from the statement. "I have to say, I never thought that combination of traits existed in Johnny. How did you know?"

"I really didn't. It was just a feeling, maybe mixed in with idealism which was, by the way, in no way disappointed!" Khira paused a moment, thoughtful. "You guys say I have this thing where I play and people can feel the intensity. Well, you do and you do," she pointed to Johnny and Christian in turn. "That hasn't happened until recently. At least, no one's seen fit to tell me."

Pandora paused. "Well, over the last few months, it's gotten... progressively stronger. Since we changed, we had noticed a change and a palpable feeling within your sets, but we all thought it was perceived as rage against the gods for not granting you a change as well. I wonder," she drew out, "if it's only with playing guitar."

Johnny smirked. Pandora picked up on it right away. "I suppose that answers that question!"

"Does it?" Khira asked, inclining her head a little.

"Should we test it?" 

"Asolutely!"

"Okay. Johnny, touch her."

Johnny hesitated. "... What!"

"Oh, it doesn't have to be anything hot and heavy. Just be affectionate."

Johnny shot a look at Pandora, but he complied. He laid a rough hand on Khira's shoulder and glided it down her arm, then up, then down again gently.

A brief, silent hum of calm washed over the room. Pandora and Christian were both noticeably affected, relaxing into their seats, a pleased, relaxed look coming over both of them. Pandora shook her head slowly. "Question answered indeed. Wow, you really like him!" Pandora teased Khira a little.

"Maybe a little." Khira shifted in her seat, slightly uncomfortable, but not to the point of overwhelming the others. "But there you have it. The answer to the question, 'Why Johnny?'" She looked over at Johnny to see his response.

Johnny was leaned forward in his seat, his elbows rested on his knees. His head was bowed slightly, his eyes flickering as he blinked. He, too was a little uncomfortable that Pandora was asking the prying questions. It was not what he envisioned would be asked. He was expecting juicy, sexy, steamy questions to which he could give vivid, explicit answers.

Not this though. He was a bit taken aback by Khira's answers. There were real feelings there. Not lust or cheap thrills, but real. He was not used to it.

But he liked it. He looked up at Khira and grinned. "Guess it's my turn?"

"No, we know why you picked her, she's awesome!"

"Christian, quit sucking up," Pandora elbowed him playfully."

"Sorry, go ahead." Christian coughed lightly and leaned forward in his chair.

Johnny subtlely flipped Christian off as he pretended to scratch the side of his head and sighed. "He's kinda right, in a nutshell. I mean, I kinda liked her before the change. Why do you think she got my vote to join the band? She was good, yes, but she's got an attitude and a sort of way of being which forces me to always look at things from other points of view. She makes me think, and I used to hate that. Before the change, I mean. It's why I was a prick to her. Sorry about that, by the way."

"No problem."

"Good! After the change, after I stopped being so worried about whether or not something was 'real' as opposed to just sounding great, I began to realize things are so much bigger than I thought they were."

"Hang on." Pandora waved her hand in front of her, stopping Johnny. "We all know that about you. We want to know why Khira. So far, this is all what's up Johnny."

Khira smirked to herself, looked at Johnny who had nodded thoughtfully. "Fair enough. 'Why Khira.' Short answer, she's broadened me as a person."

Pandora stopped him again. "Okay! I'll come out and ask. Is the sex hot?"

Everyone erupted into laughter. Pandora caught the knowing smirk between her two recently connected bandmates and nodded. "I have my answer, thank you!" She nodded, stood up and walked away.

"Jeez! You'd think she would ask for details!" Khira chuckled, then faded in her chuckle, seeing Johnny staring at her. She sighed. "Too real?"

"Maybe a little. But," Johnny thrust a finger into the air, "I think I liked it!"

Christian quietly excused himself, leaving the two to discuss the recent events.

"I… did have a change. Didn't I." Khira's statement was less of a question, more of a confirmation. "I make everyone feel what I feel. Or at least, their translation of my feelings. Not exactly what I had in mind."

"Khira," Johnny had said her name for the first time in weeks. It chilled her, in a good way. "Christian didn't want his wings. Pandora didn't want to look like an elf. I didn't want… this." He indicated his recent reptilian appearance. "Besides, do you see the crowds? And the things that I do to you, that make me feel what you do are just insane."

Khira shuddered in memory of a few of those things. "Well, you all look amazing. I look like I rolled out of bed half the time, just a regular person with semi-messy hair."

"Can we please just stop with the real for a minute?" Johnny scooted over to be closer to Khira, sat next to her and rested his hand on her opposite hip, leaning his side against hers. "Okay, I guess I mean let's talk about the topic at hand. Pandora forced it into light well before either of us were ready."

Khira started to protest, but then nodded. "You're right."

"If I didn't know better, my dear," he drew out slowly, getting closer to her ear, "I'd say you love me."

The room got very tense. Khira clenched her jaw and paused, measuring her words carefully. "I don't know what love feels like. But, with all that's happened, I feel this is what people talk about when they discuss love." She was struggling to make her point.

"It's all right, Khira. I'm not going to run away. Things aren't going to get weird suddenly." Johnny leaned a little more into her, snuck his arm around her and gave a squeeze. "I want you to know, though, that whatever this is you're trying to describe… feeling's mutual."

Khira fought tears, biting her lip. Love isn't something she was familiar with, and she felt even more exposed than when Johnny was seducing her. Johnny didn't need to say anything to figure out what Khira was going through. He could read it, of course, but he understood it through and through. He bumped his forehead against Khira's, closed his eyes, and just let the intense feelings of the room crash into him.

The tedium of the tour bus on the road helped to ease the tension a little.


	4. Forget It

**A/N: Writer's block, what a bitch! XP I really need to pick up this story again.**

The tension in the room finally subsided after a while. Khira was angry with herself for allowing her fear to even show, especially given her newly discovered abilities. She saw Johnny's brow wa sdrawn together in concern as she took a second to shake her head and wipe the small, unfallen tears from her face. She chuckled. "I was definitely hoping for something sexually explicit. That was a bit scary to me." She lowered her gaze shamefully, knowing full well she didn't need to, but felt as though she had to. Fear was weakness to her, at least in herself, and she had just been dripping with it.

She would have to kill Pandora later.

She heard a click and looked over. Johnny had closed and locked the door to the lounge area. Christian and Pandora were stuck in the bunks. He ignored their protests and left the door, his hand sliding off the handle lazily. He inhaled through his nose slowly and drew himself up, then walked over the two or three steps to Khira, protectively wrapping his arms around her smaller frame.

This was different than what Khira expected. She thought she would feel violated, coddled, babied. But the hug Johnny was giving her was not just one of protection. It was one of possession. She was his. Everything Pandora had hit upon with her investigation, and all the emotions Khira had shared inadvertently with the rest of the band had confirmed it, and no matter how Khira fought and struggled emotionally with that notion, part of her had given herself over to the singer willingly.

She did this to herself.

While she still fought tooth and nail mentally, and while that did show in her initial reaction to Johnny's hug, eventually the deafening roar inside her head became an annoyed growl, which slowly ebbed into a buzzy sort of reservation.

"What's wrong?" Johnny's voice broke the silence, though Khira was not completely convinced no noise had happened between them.

She gave a short, soft, shaky sigh. "You're a rock star. Johnny, we are both rock stars. There's a certain lifestyle, though I did not partake very often. How..."

"What?"

"How do I know I'm not just another notch in your belt?" she asked candidly. "I mean it. I'm not your groupie." The thought of being considered such rose the fighting spirits in her again, but that only made Johnny hug her tighter to him.

"I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that no groupie could ever do for me what you do, Khira." His voice was heavy, not really loving, but on a primal level it held promises of dominance and protection. Love in its primitive stages.

Khira sighed heavily, bowed her head, closed her eyes. After a moment of being squeezed in Johnny's grasp, Khira leaned her head up just a little, the tip of her tongue probing around the back of Johnny's ear again. She'd gotten such a good reaction last time, she decided she would try again.

Johnny shuddered hard against Khira, leaned into her as her sneaky little tongue probed and lightly massaged the area behind Johnny's ear. He pressed his fingertips into the small of her back, his squeeze turning into more of a suggestion. Khira lightly bit at Johnny's ear, groaning very quietly into it when she felt his form pressing differently against hers.

Khira gasped as Johnny leaned his head down, drawing his ear away from Khira in order to bite, gently but firmly at the crook of Khira's neck. Khira's hands grasped at Johnny's sides, her breath becoming slightly more shallow as Johnny's tongue ran against the spot where he bit. Feeling reciporcating, Khira gave another little moan as she sank her teeth into his neck, just below his jawline. Johnny groaned aloud, his fingers curling into claw-like formations against Khira's back. His breath came raggedly, and when he drew away from Khira's bite, he looked down at her, his eyes burning with intensity that even his fiery orange eyes couldn't portray themselves. After a long moment of staring at one another, Khira snarled and grabbed the sides of Johnny's head, pulling him down for a savage and desperate kiss. Tongues clashed, teeth crashing together, alternating growls and mewls from the pair becoming more and more urgent as the moment passed. This time, Johnny let the feelings Khira was expressing and sharing wash over him, allowing himself to get lost in the moment.

After a few moments of making out that would cause one to think both were sex-starved, they begain to move towards the couch. He purposefully made Khira back into the arm of the couch, causing her to fall backwards onto it. He let her go, but helped her down, covering her body with his. Johnny dropped bites and kisses and some tongue-wetting along Khira's neckline to the top of her breasts. Khira squirmed underneath Johnny, already desperately wanting him, part of her infuriated by his ministrations, but the lion's share of her emotion intrigued. She brought one of her knees up and pressed it against Johnny's hip, using it as leverage to grind up against him. Growling possessively, Johnny ground back down against her roughly, but never stopped what he was doing. He ripped a small tear into her shirt at her cleavage, staring at it intently, as if trying to solve a puzzle. He brought a finger up and ripped the shirt a little wider. As Khira's breasts became halfway exposed, Johnny dipped his head down and laid a bite on each one, squeezing them together as he did. He lowered his head further and nuzzled his nose into her cleavage, humming deeply in appreciation as he bucked his hips against hers again, his restrained cock already very hard and wanting to be somehow touched.

Khira growled heatedly, the sight of Johnny between her breasts always enough to break her, even in her fantasies. She struggled underneath his weight, moaning lightly as she felt his cock straining against her as she moved. God, she wanted that cock inside of her so badly.

Johnny felt everything. He knew he'd had her the moment he decided to make her forget everything Pandora had said, everything that woman had made her say. But this pent-up emotion, everything Khira had denied herself all these years seemed to begin to boil over the surface. Johnny knew just by seeing her that this was hardly scratching the surface.

And he liked it. No. He loved it. He needed it. He wanted more of it.

To get it, he would do everything he possibly could to hold Khira over the edge as long as he could.

He leaned up a little bit and slid one hand down between Khira's legs, pressing the butt of his palm against her crotch, massaging her through her pants. Khira grit her teeth and bit back another heated moan, knowing the other bandmates were just a thin door away, knowing everything that was going on.

They knew what was going on. And they needed to be punished for doing what they did - the mockery, the prodding, prying questions... oh yes, this couldn't go unpunished.

She gave a predatory smile to Johnny, everything about the look screaming to play along. "Yeah, Johnny.. I love it when you rub me like that," she said in a low, sultry voice. She didn't need to be loud. The walls were very thin. But it was very much the truth, and as he hit just the right spot through her pants, she threw her head back and gasped. "Fuck, yes, again..." she groaned softly, now actually just getting into the groove of vocalizing just for fun.

Johnny repeated the action he did to make Khira moan that way, shuddering and giving his own reciporcating moan to go with it. "Yeah?" he asked in a low tone that rivaled Khira's. "I bet I can make it feel better..." he trailed off as his free hand lowered in order to undo Khira's jeans.

Khira's face was flushed. Her lips were puffy. Her vision was hazy. Johnny did everything right. As his hand slid down into her now-open pants and rubbed her through her much thinner panties, her moan became slightly higher in pitch, almost strangled as she tried to breathe at the same time. Khira moved her hips in time with Johnny's ministrations. "Fuck, Johnny," she breathed out, his touch making her forget her own name.

He pressed his fingertips against her opening over her panties, allowing them to just barely press the dent there. "Khira," he crooned to her, "my god, you're already so wet." He felt his body tense up from the realization that he'd done this to her, and her clothes weren't even off yet. He stood up and grabbed the waist of her pants and panties, pulling them down gently, but quickly. Khira allowed this to happen, long since having given herself over to the sensations. Johnny knew exacrly what he was doing. She tensed up violently as Johnny pressed his tongue hard against her opening, rubbing up and down, slathering her wetness all over her slit. She moaned helplessly as his tongue passed over her clitoris again and again. She writhed against the couch hard, her back arching and curling. She was hypersensitive, and even the slightest sensation shot her shooting through the roof. Johnny needed only to breathe against her and she felt like she was set on fire.

Johnny stood again, looking sharply into Khira's eyes as he pushed first his middle, then his ring finger into her, palm-up. Khira quaked with sensations, not entirely sure what he was planning, but loving the feeling of his fingers inside of her.

He stayed locked with Khira's gaze as his free hand came to rest on Khira's lower abdomen. He pressed down gently, while at the same time curling his fingers up into her, firmly shaking the entire hold. Khira threw her head back and howled in pleasure that she didn't expect. She repeated the word 'fuck' more times than she cared to count in rapid succession. Her pussy squeezed his fingers, a violent orgasm ripping through her under this treatment.

Johnny withdrew his fingers while Khira was still shaking from her orgasm. He shrugged off his vest and undid his jeans, dropping them to the ground and joining Khira on the couch, kneeling down and planting a sucking-type kiss directly on her over-sensitive clitoris, making her cry out again and her whole body jerk.

He smiled smugly, licked his lips and wiped his face clean with a hand. "I could eat you forever," he spoke lowly, smirking at Khira as he knelt beside her. She was clearly satisfied, but Johnny wasn't happy with that. He wanted her to pass out from pleasure. He stood and brought her to the ground, where he sat down, guiding her into his lap. He positioned his cock just so that when she sat, perfectly aware of what was happening, he could force himself into her. Khira sank down onto his cock, shivering with every inch.

She began to move, up and down, though not of her own accord. Johnny had wrapped his arms around her again and was pulling and pushing alternatively, pulling her against him while pushing himself into her. Khira began to move with him, this position excellent for hitting that one spot. She moaned, her head thrown back as Johnny bit at her breasts again, unable to help himself as they had been just swaying in front of his face. Khira shook as her still-sensitive body was assaulted with pleasures again, sending her into orbit. Her fingernails dug into Johnny's shoulders, and he rumbled deep in his chest his appreciation.

Khira snarled and shoved Johnny down onto his back. She had a moment to move against him, having gained the upper hand, riding him hard, her tongue poking out from between her teeth as she concentrated. She found herself held again, Johnny's large hands resting on her hips, holding her in place as he thrust up deep into her. Khira cried out, twisting in his grasp as another orgasm ripped through her already-used body.

When she began to go limp again from a second orgasm, Johnny rolled her onto her back and repositioned himself between her legs. He pushed himself back in easily, the slickness of her sex made apparent by the two intense episodes of pleasure. Johnny bowed his head against her shoulder and began to rail her, fucking her as hard and fast as he was capable. Unable to keep herself quiet, Khira cried out and squirmed hard against Johnny, unable to contribute much beyond that. She was completely subjugated, and she loved every second of it. Her jaw fell open and she heard herself screaming Johnny's name again and again between outcries, but she was only vaguely aware of it as her sex was ravaged by his. She was aware of encouragement from Johnny in the way of filthy talk, but she could barely make it out. She shattered again and again, multiple orgasms destroying any fight she had left, allowing herself to stop being a band member for half a second and just be a woman.

When Johnny felt this half-second of womanhood in Khira, he growled aloud in triumph, allowing his weight to press down on her for a moment. Feeling her body moving against his, he gasped for breath, ragged sighs between them as he came, the pulsing cock ramming into Khira a few more times as his own orgasm passed.

Johnny drew back his head to look at Khira, whose eyes were delightfully rolled back in her head, a pleasantly tired look on her face. He smiled tiredly to himself, panting softly to try and catch his breath.

As he withdrew from Khira, he sighed. He was proud of himself for having eased his bandma- lover's anguish. He allowed her to sleep as he gathered their clothes and placed them in neat piles next to the couch. He sidled up behind her and protectively wrapped an arm around her. Eventually, both drifted off to sleep, forgetting they'd locked the door. Forgetting they were on a tour bus. Forgetting about having a blanket.

Forgetting there was no use of protection...


	5. Experimentation

A/N: Yep, I am the slowest fic writer everrrrr... All songs listed are part of the game, though some are downloads and some are imports. The first two songs played on random during Autoplay during the writing of this chapter AFTER I had written it, I shit you not. XD

"Sound check, sound check, one, two..." A random roadie's voice echoed through the venue as he tested the sound on the microphone and speakers.

VIP ticketholders lined up for the band to meet, and it was honestly Khira's second favorite part of the lifestyle. She got to hang out with fans of the band, who sometimes geeked, and sometimes were generally cool. There was the occasional crazy person, but never anything that Johnny or Christian couldn't handle with a little appearance intimidation.

Soon, the evening began to heat up. General admission and reserved seating fans began to trickle in, some trying to force their way to the front of the stage, some cramming into lines near merch booths. The whole crew was pulling the night off flawlessly, and that put the whole band in a fantastic mood.

Khira donned a new haircut and outfit, wearing a steel corset and spiked shoulderpiece. She donned a collar and necklace as well. Her hair was put up in a rope in a crow's wing style. She applied her vampiric fangs and fingerless gloves, checked herself in the mirror one last time, then joined the others in their pre-set huddle.

"Remember, every show is a tribute to the Gods of Rock." Christian led the ritual, his wings mantled over Pandora and Khira's shoulders. Khira shut her eyes and allowed herself to center on that focus - the essence of their performances, the purity of the music. Christian continued their sort of prayer. "If we don't do this, the metal Beast will come back and mow all of us down." The band muttered their own personal versions of the response of that last statement, amounting to your basic 'damn straight.'

Eyes fell on Khira, who opened her eyes last to find that predicament. "... What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Pandora spoke for the guys. "You sure you're going to do okay with this set?" Her grin was sly, the corners of her mouth pointed just so it lined up with her elvish ears.

Khira smirked. "The fans will love it." She winked at Johnny, whose face split with another wicked grin. "Come on, Pandora. It's a test. I picked these songs because of the performance associated with them, and... yeah. We'll see how the audience reacts."

"Those poor fucks in front," Christian chuckled.

"What about we poor fucks? You remember what happened on the tour bus, yesterday, don't you?" Pandora smacked Christian upside his head, eliciting a yelp and a pout from him.

"Well.. yeah but... maybe we'll be too zoned to notice?"

"Like that's been happening lately. Jeez. Okay guys, let's try and keep it reigned in enough so we don't jump all over each other, 'kay?" Pandora gave a glare to both Khira and Johnny in turn.

"No promises." Khira's expression was grim but apologetic. "I just found out I can do this. Not sure I can control it so much."

"Then you!" Pandora jabbed Johnny with an outstretched finger. "Stop being so sexy to Khira, damn it!"

"Easy! I can't help that!" Johnny put his hands up defensively.

"Oh lord, we're all going to die." Pandora shook her head slowly. She turned to a roadie and told him to remember to record the crowd and their reactions. "Alright, guys. Let's do this." The group un-huddled, and filed to the edge of the stage.

The lights went completely out and a hush fell over the crowd. The bandmates took their places on stage, Christian and Khira with their instruments, and Pandora with her drumsticks. As soon as they were all settled, a dim light began to brighten as the stage lit up, Pandora's beat. One, two, three, four, then a single note from Khira's guitar whined out. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause as the band was lit up. They opened with Fascination Street by The Cure.

Johnny sang out, "Let's move to the beat, like we know that it's over..." Khira's pulse quickened just a tad. None of the bandmates seemed to notice, though the crowd seemed captivated. That was typical though - their fans were generally pretty loyal and enjoyed their work, cover work though it was.

When the final note ended the song, nobody broke a sweat. Khira enjoyed that song more for the lyrics than the performance, which is why they opened with it.

Khira was glad for that, anyway. She was able to steel herself against any particularly strong emotion that may come up later with the warmup.

Next was Uprising by Muse. This song had a good, predatory vibe to it, and the performance was just so that Khira enjoyed it without getting too excited. She caught herself watching Johnny at the mic, specifically his shoulder movements, who looked back at her with those burning orange eyes and that laughing grin. It sent a bolt through Khira which sent a mild buzz through the crowd. The crowd shouted at a somewhat inopportune moment, and Khira jolted out of her trance, smirking to herself.

Oh. Tonight was going to be fun. She jammed on her guitar for the final notes of the song and looked back at Pandora with a wicked smile.

Pandora was horrified. Intrigued, but horrified. A true drummer, she never lost her beat, and the show went on.

The set continued with Comedown by Bush. Now was time to have some fun, Khira thought to herself. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back as she began the first riffs of the song. As soon as Johnny began to sing, she watched him again, opening her eyes and watching him manhandle his microphone. "It's taken me all this time to find out what I need, yeah." The women in the audience whooped excitedly, the men shouting enthusiastically. Khira was surprised - she hadn't felt anything particularly strong in that line, but it struck a chord within her, and even Johnny was grinning like a madman after he sang the line. As he continued the chorus of the song, Khira walked up to the area of the stage Johnny was performing to get closer to him, making sure he knew she was there by making eye contact, and he went with it, singing as though speaking to her. "There is no blame, only shame. When you beg, you just complain. The more I come, the more I try..." He ran the back of a finger down Khira's cheek, again as though speaking to her in the next few verses, and Khira decided to have some mischeivous fun, sticking her tongue out to lick that finger, then bite at it, missing on purpose. She winked at him, then turned and walked back to her microphone, swaying her hips as she did.

Johnny approved, and added an extra "yeah!" into the song for effect.

The crowd roared, drowning out the band in the process.

Blinded by the lights of the stage, Khira couldn't see too many fans, but those she did see were vibrating with contained energy, just as she was.

They ended that song and the lights dimmed again. Her earpiece was abuzz with chatter, some urging her on, some (Pandora) asking her what the hell she was doing. Khira just smirked, refusing to comment.

Eight beats on her snare and Pandora introduced the next song on the list: Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional. It was more of a love song, and Khira didn't want all of the music to be just erotic. She lightened up a bit, and people in the crowd were pairing off and dancing together. Khira allowed herself to feel as though he were singing to her. And then, he approached her and laid his hand on her cheek. "...I know you meant it." Khira's heart leapt, and that unfamiliar and exciting new feeling shot through her. Johnny planted a tender kiss on his guitarist's lips and moved away, is hand trailing as though reluctant to leave her face.

Khira was very glad the last note was a long one, because she felt like a deer in headlights. Others, unlike herself, had experience with these kinds of feelings, and had been holding one another close, some exchanging loving kisses. Even Pandora and Christian locked eyes on stage and shared a smile.

Khira snapped out of it and returned her attention forward. When she cleared her head, the audience seemed to even itself out again, waiting patiently for the next song.

Some, as expected, began to murmur rumor about Johnny and Khira, they would find out later.

Once again, Khira was able to watch Johnny sway to and fro as they played The Dope Show by Marilyn Manson. It wasn't about the music, but rather the movements Johnny made which made this performance particularly dangerous. When Johnny crawled on the stage floor, Khira nearly lost her mind. Johnny felt that, and embellished a little, making sure to show off as he moved more than usual. Khira licked the edge of her teeth and shut her eyes omentarily to regain composure before she fully lost it. People in the pit were grinding against each other, some completely having lost interest in the music and focusing on the feelings Khira projected. Later, they would find Pandora's sacraficed drum sticks would have fingernail marks in them. Christian was glad for a bass to be in front of him, and Johnny, shameless sod he was, simply adjusted himself when he stood up from the ground.

They ended their set for the band they were opening for with Waidmann's Heil by Rammstein. It gave Khira a chance to calm her libido and pump up her aggression. She banged her head and stomped her feet, and listening to Johnny sing and roar in German thrilled her to the very core.

Khira threw back her head and let out a shout once the song was done, a warcry of sorts, a sound that shocked her bandmates. When she lowered her head again and opened her eyes, they shone, almost glowed for a half second. The crowd erupted again in thunderous applause.

Without so much as a goodbye or a bow, the band disappeared from the stage. Pandora whipped her scarred drumsticks into the pit and leapt from her drum stands, following quickly after Christian, who tossed his bass at a roadie. Khira didn't get the chance to discard her instrument, having been snatched in the dark by the wrist by Johnny and into a dark corner.

The guitar fell to the ground with a smash, having long since been disconnected from the amps. Johnny's breath came in a shallow pant as he pinned Khira to the wall. He chuckled humorlessly as he leaned down and growled into her ear, "I guess we don't need to review the footage. We have our answer." He closed his teeth down against her pulse point, making her go weak at the knees.

She licked her lips, her own breath coming in short, soft gasps, Johnny still biting at her neck. "Guess not," was all she could squeak out, her limbs tingling and her core pooling with white hot desire.

When she tried to move, Johnny growled again and pressed his body to hers possessively. He hissed at her, "I don't think we'll make it back to the bus."

"I don't think so either," Khira agreed, her voice breathless. She moaned in pleasure as his hands gripped her sides, his hips grinding heavily against hers. As expected with the experimentation, he was as painfully hard as she was soaking wet. He opened his pants and freed himself before he undid her jeans, pushed them down to her ankles. He grabbed and positioned himself to her entrance and with one forceful push, he filled her up.

She gasped and moaned heatedly, though it was cut short by his hand covering her mouth. "Don't you make a fucking sound," he ordered. "We will be caught and arrested. And that'll put a real damper on the night. Wouldn't you say?" Khira nodded, though her brow furrowed with difficulty. "Good girl," he purred to her, taking his hand from her mouth and placing it once again on her side. He then began to rail her. This was going to be quick and dirty, filthy backstage sex. Khira ground her teeth and held her breath, which admittedly made her climax rush up that much faster. The sight of him writhing on the floor onstage floated across her mind's eye. The feelings she got from watching that resurfaced and she gasped loudly. Johnny clamped his palm over her mouth again, which she gladly accepted as soon after that gasp came a strangled outcry, her orgasm ripping her to shreds. johnny then drilled into her, following suit with his own climax, grunting mutedly as he spilled himself into her. Khira leaned her head back and against the wall, his hand still on her mouth, and she began to slide down the wall. Of course, she was stopped by Johnny, who was still inside her.

After a few moments, he finally removed his hand, allowing Khira to pick up her pants and zip them back up. Her lips were puffy and hair messed up, and they both smelled heavily of sex, but nobody actually caught them in the act.

Johnny smirked at Khira, took her hand and spirited them away to the bus, where they ended up showering, then crashing, hard.

The next day, they would review the tapes - if there were any, the way their experimentations went.


	6. Possession

A/N: This is just plain guilty pleasure. It doesn't really tie into the plot at all. :)

Khira stood, bound to a length of chain link fence, the room lit only by a single halogen lamp. Her cuffs were made of pure lambskin, the D-rings on them held fast by heavy duty chains, which were then tightly bound to the fence posts. Her arms were spread, as though ready to embrace, at about waist-level, straight out to her sides, arms bent at a 90-degree angle at the elbow. She was clad in a black lace bra and dark pants, though she wore no shoes or socks.

Johnny came into the room, chuckling in a low fashion. He liked seeing his lover held captive like this - somebody who was usually loath to take any kind of direction, at his disposal. Sure, she would fight him. He liked that about her, that she made him work to gain her obedience. It added a layer of flavor which his past submissives had not thought to give. It was different. It was exciting.

He was wearing his studded leather vest, his lithe torso hard with musculature. He, too wore dark pants made of leather. He wore them because he knew it excited her, and she would be much more compliant if he wore them. It was her weakness - seeing him wearing those pants, his combat boots, wielding the riding crop with every intent to use it.

Khira eyeballed the crop with a mock baleful glare, her head lowered, but her gaze fixed on the weapon. Her hands grasped at open air as she struggled, though as she did she tried to make it inconspicuous. Johnny chuckled again darkly, sliding the end of the crop along his open palm. "My dear Khira, just remember: You asked for this." Khira nodded, a smirk playing across her lips. "You said you could handle it, that you could handle me." He smacked his open palm with the end of the crop with a loud crack, making Khira have a thrill bolt through her system. She stared hard at Johnny's eyes, daring him to continue. He smirked his trademark smile, clasping his hands behind him and walking nonchalantly up to Khira, whose collar also held her fast to the chain link fence. It had a breakaway handle which Johnny could use to force her to stand taller or sink lower if he so desired.

And he would. But for now, he taunted her. He got very close to her ear, allowing the spikes on his shoulder to press into her flesh as his chest pushed against hers. "We're going to test that," he hissed, his free hand creeping up her side, his touch a ghost of a sensation. He bit Khira's neck hard, though with steady pressure, making Khira suck in a breath between grit teeth. She refused in that moment to cry out in pain. Instead, she clenched her jaw, feeling a slight drop of blood trickle down her collarbone and pool in the notch just below her neck. "Mmm," Johnny pulled away, licking his teeth. "Very sweet, my dear," he crooned, touching her cheek gently.

Khira shivered inwardly at the sensations Johnny caused already, loving the pain, the pulsing and throbbing from the minor injury causing her to swallow back a moan. Johnny leaned down, tilting his head as he licked the drop and trail of blood from her otherwise alabaster skin. His tongue ran over the bite mark, and Khira went briefly weak at the knees, the telltale sound of chains hitting chain link showing her weakness in an obvious way.

Johnny grabbed Khira by the neck and slammed her back into the fence, glowering at her with disapproval. "If that's all you've got, sweet heart, we may as well end here," he spat out, clearl trying to get her goat.

Khira glared back at Johnny, his grip tightening ever so slightly around her throat, not cutting off air, but making it slightly less easy to breathe. Her legs were fastened at the ankles to the fence as well, allowing for her to drop to her knees if Johnny so wanted it. With an act of defiance, she went to bite at Johnny's wrist, fighting against her bonds, snarling and bristling with mock anger. "Show me what you got," Khira taunted him as she laughed.

Her laughter was quite short-lived as Johnny drew back and thrashed her thigh with the crop, swinging with expert precision. Khira yelped and bit her lip, not expecting so rough so fast. The sting was softened by the pants she wore, and Johnny knew it. That shot was a warning. He then drew the crop's end against her abdomen and up to under her chin, making her look at his eyes. He shook his head slowly, warning her of the next time she had an outburst. He tsk'd repeatedly, mocking her. "Speak only when addressed, pet, or you'll get worse than a whack on the leg." She swallowed hard, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. "Remember your safe word, because if you don't say it I will not stop," he warned, a savage lust present in his words, in his gaze, in his demeanor. "You do remember it, yes? Nod or shake."

Khira nodded. "Good," Johnny stated firmly, pressing the crop against her throat momentarily before removing it and pressing his body roughly to hers again, his lips crashing into hers in a posessive, savage kiss. Once again, Khira struggled internally against her desire to grab at Johnny, though being bound really helped in that respect. Instead, her hands opened and squeezed shut in rapid succession, her legs tensing in coiled energy. She did arch her back and press her body against his, to which Johnny chuckled into the kiss, voicing his approval by snaking a hand 'round her waist and down to her behind, pressing his fingers against her and grinding his hips against hers.

It drove Khira absolutely mad. She growled into the kiss and ground back against Johnny, trying desperately to part her thighs and feel him against her.

Her desperation was met with disdain. Johnny's hand snapped up to grab at her hair and twist, holding her head in place as he broke the kiss to glare at her. "You would take more pleasures than offered, pet?" He spat the question out, and realization crossed Khira's eyes. This was really happening. This was a game to play for keeps. If she didn't play by his rules, she would never get the release she so desperately wanted. Her rage with him started to die, replaced instead by a reservation. She understood now, this was his game, and if she were to live up to her promise and take him and handle him well, she would need to play along.

Giving herself over to him completely, she bowed her head and shook it back and forth obediently. "Good," Johnny stated, recognizing the look in Khira's eyes and becoming thoroughly pleased with himself. "Get out of line again and see what happens," he threatened, the riding crop snuck behind Khira and tracing along her spine. She gasped silently and stood up straight. "There's a good pet," he approved of her reaction, his eyes trailing from her widened eyes down to her thrust-out breasts. "Why are these clothed? That won't do." Johnny set down the crop and reached behind Khira with both hands, staring her in the eyes once again as he made a mockery of embrace, his arms around her, but barely touching, his body only just out of reach. Khira's pulse quickened, and she refused to make a move. Her breath was held in her lungs, her heart thundering in her chest as Johnny unclasped her bra and discarded it to the floor. He hummed his approval and leaned down to nuzzle her now-bare breasts. Still refusing to move, Khira bit back a groan as Johnny's expert tongue ran over one of her nipples, then the other in measured precision. In their time together, Johnny has gotten to know her body rather well and knew just which places to touch, what buttons to hit, and how to make her scream.

But she held back, much to Johnny's impressed state. He felt her trembling just slightly with his touch, and with a dark laugh, he spoke, but continued his work before and after his statement. "You can try to hold back, my dear, but I will get you to vocalize against your will," he stated plainly. Khira closed her eyes, a shudder running through her system as Johnny took one of her nipples between his teeth and nibbled, his fangs pressing against her flesh. Khira bowed her head and bit her tongue, shaking with effort not to moan.

Johnny looked up at her, then stood up and placed a finger against her lips as though to hush her. "Don't you dare. Make a sound. Until I tell you to." His warning made Khira's heart hammer in her chest, and she nodded meekly, shaking against her bonds involuntarily, causing Johnny to laugh humorlessly. "Good girl. This should be fun." With that said, he moved and walked away from Khira into the darkness. Some metallic sounds came from the shadows, and soon he returned with a very sharp pair of scissors. "You don't like those pants, do you?" He chuckled as she kept still, unflinching as he approached, then made a show of falling to his knees, lowering himself to grasp one of her pant legs. He then proceeded to cut up the inseam of the leg, making quick work of it up to mid-thigh, where he slowed himself. He stared up at her face as the cold metal of the scissors pressed against her inner thigh. He was very careful not to cut her, though cut all the way up to the middle of the crotch of her pants. He did the same on the other side, leaving just a string of cloth to keep the pants together. He then roughly undid her button and zipper, yanking it down so it tore down to the seam. He then ripped the pants from her body, causing her to scream out in pain as cloth rubbed harshly against her skin, the string of cloth hitting her sex in just such a way that was painful, and she could not hold her cry in.

Johnny grabbed her through her underwear, hard, squeezing the flesh there in an iron grip. Khira looked up to the ceiling, clenching her jaw as she fought the urge to cry out again, Johnny's rough grip bringing tears to the corners of her eyes. "What did I say," he stated not as a question, but as a reminder. Khira nodded, swallowing back the tears and holding her breath. Johnny squeezed a little tighter. "I said not to make a sound. Didn't I. Answer me, pet!"

"Yes!"

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, you said not to make a sound."

"Call me Master."

"Yes, Master."

Johnny's touch became soothing, his fingers brushing and rubbing against Khira's sore sex through her panties. The blood rushed to her there like a flood, and Johnny's gentle ministrations belied what he had just done to her.

She found she loved this feeling, and bit back another moan, her head tilting back and her eyes rolling back in her head instead. Another snip of the scissors, and her panties fell away, leaving her completely exposed, bound, and in very real danger of getting the business end of that riding crop now that her protective layers have been removed.

Khira lowered her head again and looked at Johnny, a mock fear in her eyes. Johnny stroked her cheek gently and planted a kiss on her lips before sinking down to his knees again. Khira's heart pounded, her blood rushing through her body at the image of Johnny down in front of her. She knew what happened next, and braced herself.

Johnny's tongue lavished the length of Khira's sex, holding back nothing as he massaged Khira with his tongue, probing, flickering, circling. Khira felt herself break into a light sweat as she bit her lip, steeling herself against the overwhelming sensations he caused. She wanted to shatter, wanted to howl his name so it echoed off the walls. Instead she just allowed herself to breathe more heavily, her breath coming in measured puffs. It was obvious she was holding back. Johnny drew back and looked up at Khira. "Don't you fucking cum until I tell you to," he warned. Khira could only acknowledge with a strangled groan, something Johnny allowed and even enjoyed. "Good pet," he growled to her, his hands reachng around and grasping her behind, pressing his fingers into the muscle there as he dove back in, his tongue readily finding her slick entrance, probing deep, licking at that sensitive spot. Khira squirmed against her restraints, fighting to stop herself from cumming. He pulled away and circled her clit once with his tongue and she gasped, her knees weakening again, and she collapsed, though Johnny caught her before she could fall. He kept going, torturing her, pulling away to say "Don't fucking do it, Khira," he said her name instead of 'pet', sending Khira into a frenzy.

She broke the rules, begging for release, crying out his title, then his name, wanting desperately to have release. Soon it would be uncontrollable. Instead of giving her permission, instead of punishing her for speaking out of turn, Johnny stood up, thrusting twi fingers deep into her and stroking her inside, his breath coming in short gasps. He was in control, but he was so turned on it made him breathless. "Don't you fucking dare," he whispered, driving his fingers deep into her. The dichotomy was too much for Khira, the fact that he was trying so hard to get her to have an orgasm while at the same time demanding she not. She threw her head back and started to moan, then scream, her voice strangled as she fought release.

"Please, Master," she begged aloud, every nerve set on fire.

"No."

At his refusal, Khira, despite her very best efforts, shattered in his hands. She squirmed and ground against his fingers and palm, howling his name, her fingers clawing at the chain link fence behind her.

When she was done, Johnny frowned despite himself, letting Khira hang from her bonds. He grabbed her face in one hand, smiling wickedly. "Now it gets fun..." He shoved his fingers which had been deep within her into her mouth and made her lick and suck them clean, which she did readily. "What was it you called me? Did you use my name, pet?" he asked her rhetorically, knowing the answer. "Oh, you shouldn't have done that..." Something she heard a lot from Johnny, yet today those words carried so much more weight. "Stand up," he commanded, hauling her back to standing up straight, grasping the back of her collar to do so. He then unhooked the breakaway handle and forced her down to her knees, snarling as he did so. "You find yourself worthy to climax before your Master? You'll be paying for that transgression." He pressed close to Khira, his leather pants bulging with his painfully hard cock concealed within. Khira looked up at Johnny, eagerly leaning forward and mouthing at that bulge. She elicited a moan from Johnny, but quickly he grasped her collar and forced her back again, looking down at her sternly. He then carefully and slowly undid his belt buckle, then button and zipper, opening his pants to reveal the thick, throbbing member Khira had been mouthing at. Khira stared hungrily at it, suddenly deeply disappointed she wouldn't be feeling it inside her pussy. Just as she felt that twinge of disappointment, Johnny grasped the back of her head and pressed into her. Khira pressed her lips to the tip of his cock and swallowed it down, gagging as he roughly pulled her to him. She grunted with the effort as he fucked her mouth. He, too grunted with effort as his overly sensitive cock drove down into her throat. She coughed and gagged at the roughness of his treatment, her arms out to the side and slightly up as she was still tied up, down on her knees and being held in place by his big hands. She felt tears once again sting the corners of her eyes as she fought the reflexes welling up within her.

Johnny moaned heatedly, refusing to hold back. "Yes, pet, like that." He fisted his hand into her hair and pulled, holding tight as if it were a handle. The hot, wet feeling of her mouth and gullet were enough, however, and in minutes, Johnny's cock rammed down her throat once, twice, three more times before pulsating and jetting hot seed down her throat. "Swallow it," he growled out as he came, though Khira needed no instruction. "Don't you spill a goddamn drop," he ordered. Khira eagerly swallowed down his load, making sure to hold on as long as she could before being unable to take it anymore. She slid off of his cock and coughed, facing down and away from Johnny, who sunk down to the ground with Khira, chuckling and holding her face in his hands. "Well... well-done..." he panted, planting kisses all over her face and neck. "Good start."

"Mmm, start?" Khira's vicious grin belied the surprise she had when she heard that phrase. "Mm... there's more where that came from?" she asked.

"Oh, yes," Johnny growled, though tired in doing so. "We've only just begun..." He laughed darkly, and at Khira's genuine smirk, he kissed her deeply, releasing her cuffs and ankle restraints. "I stand corrected... you and I... work very, very well together at this..."

"Didn't I say?" Khira chuckled and sighed. "I can't wait to see what else you got."


	7. Performance Review

**A/N: More character development... sort of trying to get my muse back. Been kinda rough these last few months. Anyway. :D**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Alright, let's go over this," Pandora was keenly interested in viewing the footage from the previous weekend's performance meant to test out their hypothesis about Khira's power. The band, the crew, and frankly anybody who had been within the venue were given a day or two off to cool off after their exposure to Khira's empathic projections. As Pandora plugged in the camcorder into the monitor of the communal laptop on the tour bus, Khira and Johnny exchanged knowing glances. Pandora caught on and noted the bite mark on Khira's neck, which the guitar player had not bothered to cover. This earned Khira a wicked smile from Pandora.

Khira lifted an eyebrow, but couldn't help but bare her own teeth in a razor smile. She liked the bite mark. It gave her a small thrill each time she thought about it, bringing her back to the previous night, and Pandora's wordless acknowledgement made her do just that.

"Whoa, let's not get that started again," Johnny smirked and stepped between the women, blocking their view of each other before they started to chat. "Remember why we're here," he pointed at the screen, which had turned blue as the video began to load. "Jesus Christ, what's taking this so long?"

"Come on, the computer's damn near five years old!" Christian, standing behind Pandora, got defensive about his poor, misused machine. "Besides, it's been dropped and shit. Viruses galore. It's a piece of crap, but it's what we have for this purpose."

"Fucking hell, Christian," Khira swore at her long time friend. "We have the resources and funds to take care of that crap! Why didn't we!?"

Christian sniffed indignantly. "Because... I didn't want to. Also I think it's too far gone."

"It won't hurt my camera, will it?!" Pandora reached for the cord. Christian gripped her wrist before she could yank the plug.

"Nah, your camera will be fine, so will the files."

"You sure?" Pandora was incredulous.

"No."

"Damn it!"

"Well it's too late now! We might as well watch."

"He is right," Johnny stated matter-of-factly. "But hey, we can view it this once. If it corrupts after that, we'll still have our answers."

"As though we needed answers!" Khira smirked, quite self-aware. "I just want to see everyone go nuts!"

"Me too!" Christian was gleeful as a little kid in a toy store. "Because I can tell you for sure, I fucking felt that!"

"So did I."

"Me, too."

"Alright!" Khira held up her hands and continued to grin. "So we watch ourselves and other people going through it. Still fun!"

"Agreed," Pandora stated enthusiastically and pressed the play button.

The group watched as the image on screen turned to the backstage view of their performance. The roadie handling the camera was quiet and professional, had a very steady hand. As expected, with the first song, everyone acted normal, for the most part.

Johnny nudged Khira and whispered in her ear. "You liked when I did that."

Khira nudged back. "Shut up, Johnny," she said, but wasn't able to hold in her amusement entirely.

The footage continued, and in the second song, the crowd's shouting came up. Christian excitedly pointed at the screen. "That! Right there! What the hell was that!"

Khira lowered her head a little in mock shame. "He may have looked at me... caught me looking at him..."

"You like getting caught?" Pandora teased Khira a little bit, whose wicked smile betrayed the fake shame she was showing. "Perv."

"Hey! ... You're right." Khira winked and pointed at Pandora, smiling charmingly.

"You have no idea," Johnny chuckled darkly, sending a chill up Khira's spine, earning her a glance from all of them.

"Eyes forward! Keep watching!" Khira ordered the group to look away from her before she started to blush. "Fucking hell, this is going to be a long day."

When Comedown came up, and Johnny and Khira's dual performance on stage happened, they looked at Pandora, who wore a scowl. "Seriously, guys, what the fuck was that?" She pointed to the screen and glared at the both of them. "We are supposed to be testing Khira's power here, and you flaunt this?"

Khira fielded that rhetorical question. "Well, if you'd look at the screen, my dear..." Khira drew attention to the members of the audience who had been paying sudden rapt attention. "See that? They don't normally do that. We did good!"

"Good by who?!" Pandora glared back at Christian, who wore a bad-liar innocent face. "Oh, we're going to start doing stage performances now? Fine."

"Hey, why not? Rammstein's bassist and drummer are sometimes on the same level." Johnny pointed out the example.

"Yeah, but - fine," she conceded and crossed her arms, pouting that she'd been out-smarted.

Christian laughed. "I didn't know you guys did that!" He pointed to the screen as Johnny leaned into Khira for their tender, loving kiss during Dashboard Confessional.

"They did. Our corner of the Internet ex-ploded with it." Pandora peered at the couple. "It's equal parts review of that show, and questions and rumors about you two!"

"Hey, you know, we haven't exactly gone public before this," Khira chuckled at Pandora's disapproval. "Besides, at least it's equal parts! Anybody saying anything about.. you know, our experiment?"

"Actually yeah, but first I want to finish watching this." Pandora suddenly stared intently at the screen as Johnny's performance during The Dope Show came up.

Johnny smirked and nudged Khira again. "You -really- liked it when I did that."

Khira, allowing herself a moment of shyness, smiled despite those feelings. Her cheeks burned a little. "Maybe a little."

"More than a little!" Christian coughed. "Excuse me, but I don't think that," he pointed to himself, "or THAT," he pointed to Johnny's obvious public adjustment, "was self-induced. Good god, a little self control, please!"

"Hey, did you want to experiment or not?!" Khira snapped at Christian, mock-glaring at him.

"I did! But I didn't know there were going to be boners on stage!"

"Yeah, well..." Khira shrugged, unapologetic. She had begun watching the footage and those feelings started to come back in a buzzy sort of way, much less strong than when it was live, but enough to make Pandora and Christian protest.

"Hey, whoa! Next!" Christian reached for the fast forward button and moved the video just a few seconds to the end of the song.

"Jeez, Khira, keep it in your pants." Pandora pushed Khira playfully.

"Bite your tongue, woman!" Johnny curled his arms around Khira from behind, half in mock-protection, and half in real suggestion. Khira picked up on it, then smiled evilly at Pandora in a wordless threat to allow herself to give over to the suggestion.

"Alright, alright! Fine. Jeez, we got maybe one song left. Besides, this is the part I need you to see." Pandora quickly changed the subject as Waidmann's Heil came up on screen. The roadie holding the camcorder had moved to the front of the stage, near Khira, to get a better look at the audience, who had began to thrash and mosh, almost wrecking. "No... not that... There!" The camera whipped around as the guy filming the show heard Khira's powerful war cry. Every last person went silent and stared at Khira for a second or two before the crowd roared it's approval.

The bandmates looked absolutely dumbfounded.

"Yeah, what was that anyway?" Christian wondered aloud.

"Exorcism." Pandora had obviously been thinking about that part of their performance for a day or so. "It's gotta be. All that contained emotion? Everything expressed in the music? It's a release."

"Like... musical orgasms?" Christian coined an interesting phrase in the process of trying to make sense of Pandora's assessment.

"Euh... in a crude way, yes," Pandora eyeballed her love, unable to refute his analogy.

"Ha!" Johnny prodded Khira with a finger playfully. "I even give you musical orgasms!"

"Hey, come on now, credit where it's due!" She looked at her perplexed bandmates and winked at Pandora and Christian. "They helped, yanno." Khira then yelped and giggled when Johnny went to mock-possess her, growling and wrapping his arms around her.

"Mine," he said in a low, protective voice, pretending to glare at Christian and Pandora.

"Gross. Okay, I think that's enough review!" Pandora dismissed the conversation and shut the laptop. Johnny smirked at her reaction, short and succinct though it was. Christian gave a wicked grin to Khira, who returned the sentiment to her old friend.

"Yeah, I think we got what we needed," Khira said quickly. She settled back into Johnny's arms, still wrapped around her possessively.

"Still something I need to do," Johnny growled into Khira's ear. He pressed one palm against her belly, the other gripping her arm. In his playfulness, Johnny had found a genuine feeling of need to reclaim Khira over her silly comment of the other two bandmates bringing her to musical climax.

"Whoa." Khira was at a loss for words as an interesting thrill surged through her system.

"Gross! Okay, get out!" Pandora pushed Khira and Johnny as a unit out of the area and clear out of the bus. "We're here for another day or so. Make the most of it, and get out of this bus!"

The door slamming in their faces, Johnny turned to Khira, a dark smile playing across his features. "I have a place in mind." He gave another dark chuckle and grasped her hand, roughly pulling her into following him. Khira grinned wickedly, remembering their previous encounter.

This would be good, especially since Khira had planned on turning the tables on Johnny.


	8. If You Could Only See

**A/N: Alright, kind of a double header... this and last chapter written within a few days of each other. I really wanted to put Johnny on the spot for once. :D**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I think she's disgusted!" Khira smirked as she and Johnny walked hurriedly down the road. "She's acting all, 'ew, cooties!' We aren't that gross." She laughed, haing to take longer strides in order to keep up with Johnny, even running a little. "Hey, why aren't we just poofing over there, anyway? Not that I dislike the walk, but... you know, I'd rather be spending the time doing other things."

Johnny flashed Khira a wicked smile. "Just can't get enough of me, can you?" He bumped into her on purpose, never stopping the walk. "Anyway, we aren't... 'poofing'... over there because I'm not exactly a hundred percent sure where this place is."

"Hmm. Too bad we can't just go there." They passed a discretely-marked hotel of sorts. There were rooms in the basement, and it seemed fairly sparsely populated.

"Well I'll be damned," Johnny grabbed Khira by the hand and abruptly stopped walking. "Would have gone right by the damned thing. Let's go!" Johnny showed a little excitement, grinning like a fool at Khira before starting towards the building.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the duo came down the stairs into the basement level of the hotel, Khira's mind was abuzz with ideas. She was determined to have the upper hand this evening. Until tonight, he will have taken control every single time.

"What's with you?" Johnny slid the room key and opened the door, noticing Khira's piercing stare. Something was different about the energy she gave off tonight as well.

Khira's stare found Johnny's eyes, and she didn't answer, simply gave a knowing, vicious smile.

"Well, alright then," he grinned back. "After you," he held the door open and let Khira walk in first.

Khira did so, and as she entered the room, she turned on the lights and surveyed the area. It was surprisingly well kept, given the front of the building looked old and dilapidated. However, it was clear this room was meant for a certain kind of clientele.

There were no beds, only a couple of cots. In the middle of the room was an adjustable chair, meant either for massage or tattooing, the main difference being the arms of the chair, and the straps attached to the head rest. A large case sat on a countertop a few feet away.

Johnny watched as Khira stepped forward to investigate the contents of the case. While she was occupied, he padded quietly over to her, chuckling as he got close. "Like what you see?"

"I do indeed." Khira looked over her shoulder at him. The expression on her face was different from her usual look.

Johnny tilted his head inquisitively. Realization began to dawn on him, and a smirk spread on his features. "Don't think I've ever done that before," he said matter-of-factly.

Khira chuckled quietly, turned and faced Johnny. "First time for everything." Before he could reply, she planted her hand firmly in the middle of his chest and shoved him backwards. She was shorter than he, and not as strong, but he went with it, allowing himself to be pushed. The backs of his legs touched the edge of the chair, and he loked back at it, then forward to Khira, who told him, "I think you need to sit down."

"Do I?" Johnny resisted. He was making sure Khira knew her gentle suggestion would not cut it.

"Did I stutter?" Khira grasped Johnny by the collar and pulled him down to be face to face with her. She glared at Johnny. "Sit. Your ass. Down." As if to abbreviate her point, Khira used her hold on his collar to push him down and back into the chair. She quickly took one of his hands and began tying the wrist to the arm of the chair. When he went to stand again, to challenge her, she brought a booted foot up and used it to pin him down. With her foot planted firmly against his chest, she made quick work of his other hand.

She took her foot away and stepped back, peering at Johnny appraisingly. He was now tied to the chair, but he was hardly effectively restrained. He glowered up at Khira, but he opened his mouth and let forth a dark chuckle filled with mockery. He demonstrated his lack of impression by standing up, though his wrists were still fastened to the arms of the chair, which had incidentally been bolted to the floor. He could not move or walk, but did still tower over Khira as she stood in front of him. He leered down at her with his predatory smirk. "New at this?"

Khira smiled with deceptive sweetness up at Johnny. "Maybe." She looked from his eyes, down his neck and torso, fixing her gaze finally on his belt buckle. She stepped forward, pressed her frame against his. He didn't flinch. She slid her hand up the inside of his leg and pressed her palm against his groin, cupping him as she looked up into his eyes. "Remember this? Last time you gripped me this way?" Johnny's gaze wavered for only part of a second, remembering the vice-like squeeze he held her in. Khira nodded slowly and gave a razor smile. "That's right. And now I've got you." She pressed her palm harder against him, as if to push him down. He buckled and sat back in the chair. "There's a good boy," she spoke in a sweet, yet condescending manner. She leaned down, removing her hand from him and placing her hands at his waist. A quick click, and a seat belt of sorts locked him in place.

"Fair enough," Johnny conceded. Okay, so Khira was new, but for a new dominator, she certainly had the basics down, though her style was different from his. Were he in control, he would just do. He wouldn't threaten.

Khira drew herself up to stand over Johnny, leering down at him for a change. Johnny felt roll after roll of energy pouring from her, and he stopped dead in his tracks. The smile was wiped from his face and he looked up at her in a new light. "Shut up, Johnny," she said while shaking her head. She knelt down and bent, chaining his ankles to the chair, just so that his feet did not touch the ground. She slid her hands up his thighs and drew herself up, sliding up his body and coming face to face with him, smiling her sly little smile. She placed her hands on his shoulders, threading her fingers around his spikes and leaned in to kiss him deeply. She crawled up and straddled his waist, breaking the kiss off to stand over him. His eyes locked with hers, his grin coming back in a different, much stronger way. While his head was leaned back on the head rest, Khira struck out, grabbing the upper strap and clasping it around Johnny's forehead, securing his head in place. With that, he laughed aloud, though the mockery was gone from his voice. He now was genuinely enjoying himself. He looked up at Khira, then down her body to her lovely breasts, so close to him, yet out of reach. He wet his lips, an almost invisible action, though Khira caught it and chuckled soundlessly.

"See something you like?" Her voice was smooth as silk. Johnny felt something in his core shift, and he strained slightly against his bonds, his lip curling into a frustrated snarl. "Ah-ah. Already?" Khira winked at Johnny, pushing up and off of him, stepping back to see if she missed anything. She then walked a wide path around the chair, approaching the back of it, her hands running down his chest as she leaned down, her mouth right next to his ear. "Be good, and if you're lucky, I'll let you go... a little at a time." She nipped gently at the tip of his ear, her tongue gently tracing the edge of it. Johnny shuddered inwardly, though outwardly he was the picture of patience. His only tell was that his fingers began to press into the arms of the chair.

Khira let her tongue trail down from his ear to his neck, giving very light, pinching bites against his skin. Johnny growled, tried to move away from the bites, simply because they set his nerves on fire, and he was not ready to tip his hand just yet. Khira would have to work for his willingness.

"Is that so?" Khira chuckled lowly, sending a bolt of electricity down Johnny's spine. "Look," she spoke in a hard tone, though quiet, directly into his ear. "I know you can just disappear from these bonds. I know you want to be here." She breathed out and pressed the blade of her tongue against the tiny bite marks. "Let's just play at this. See how far you can go before escape. Let me... Fuck... with you for a little bit." With that, without a response from Johnny, Khira pulled back and walked to the front of the chair again, one finger trailing along his arm. She found his expression to be rather calm. That would have to change. Staring him full in the eyes, she began to take off her clothes.

Johnny's bright orange eyes never closed, never blinked, watching Khira cast aside her attire, kick off her boots, and stand before him.

"You know what you need?" Johnny grinned, looking Khira up and down. "Spike collar."

Khira snarled and advanced on Johnny, leaning over him and grabbing at his collar again, pulling it just slightly as she stared down into his eyes. She opened her mouth to say something biting, but the thought crossed her mind, and frankly she liked the idea. Instead of admitting it, she glared at Johnny, let go of his collar and instead clasped her fingers around his mandible. "Chatty thing, aren't you?" She settled down into his lap, nestling her now bare sex against his groin, then moved up, putting one of her breasts at mouth height to Johnny. "Go on," she said as though encouraging a small child to do something new.

Viciously, Johnny sunk his teeth into Khira's flesh. Khira gasped and cried out feverishly, a fiery sensation spreading from the bite to the rest of her body. Her eyes snapped wide open, and she glowered down at Johnny, whose eyes were closed, feeling the sensations coming from her. She couldn't help herself and shuddered heavily, pressing into Johnny's bite. She thrust her hand against his throat and tried to pull away from him. Fangs dragged against her skin as he put up a fight, his tongue trailing as she finally freed herself from his grasp.

"Want to play it that way?" Khira's voice was husky, though challenging. "Fine." She reached over to the second head rest strap, pulling it across and over Johnny's mouth. She leaned down, growling into his ear, "You'll pay for that."

Khira reached for the adjustment controls on the chair and moved it to a reclining position. She then breathed against his neck before biting him there in much the same way he had just bitten her. Johnny inhaled sharply, closed his eyes, pulled against his restraints. Khira did not let up, in fact started sucking on that spot, humming her approval for his reaction, subtle though it was. She felt him begin to swell and harden beneath her, and as a response ground down just slightly against him, earning her a muffled, frustrated growl.

Khira let go and smiled privately, licking at the spot she had bitten before sitting back, looking down at Johnny as he began to feel frustration well up within him. Khira relished this sight. His whole body seemed to tense, and his growing hardness pressed full against her sex through his pants. She ran her hands up and down his torso, paying rapt attention to detail. She slid her fingers underneath his studded vest, feeling his obliques tense with her touches. His breathing caught for only a second. Ghosting her fingers down, her eye caught the creases leading from his hips to his groin, how well-defined those were. With her light touch, his hips bucked, though belted into the chair he did not move far. Khira opened her mouth as though to laugh, but no sound came out. Johnny grunted, her maddening touch, coupled with him feeding off of her projected emotions, made him lose his composure a little more quickly than he was ready to admit.

Khira slid down, making a point to nip at the spot which made his hips jerk the way they did. Johnny grunted even harder, unable to say anything as his mouth was covered. Swiftly, Khira undid Johnny's belt buckle and removed it from his person in one skilled pull. She smiled wickedly up at him. "You're lucky you're tied like that. Your ass would be mine were you face down." At his newfound struggle, Khira laughed aloud, able to reach down and undo the button and zipper of his pants. "Bet you'd be sorry you wear studs then." She placed a sucking type kiss in the hollow of his hip, eliciting another strangled groan from Johnny.

As she opened Johnny's pants, she freed his cock, tugging said pants down just so she could have access to the whole area, hips, cock, balls, everything. She settled down between his legs and stared for a long moment at his very stiff cock, waiting for a moment or two before gingerly touching the tip of her tongue against his balls, very gently and thoroughly caressing them. She then pulled away, looked up at Johnny to find his eyes had closed. Snarling, she reached up and unclasped the restraint over his mouth. "Too quiet in here," she said with a wink.

Returning her attention to the matter at hand, Khira decided to tease him further. One fingertip brushed lightly up his length from base to tip, making him strain to be touched more firmly. Instead, Khira continued the gentle touches, adding a few more fingers, then her other hand. All ten fingertips concentrated their efforts on just the tip of his member, rubbing in gentle circles. Again he strained, and again Khira maintained the same level of pressure. It was maddening. Johnny growled heatedly, trying to move his body in any way he could to gain more contact, but to no avail. His breath quickened, Khira's agonizing ministrations keying into a primal part of his brain. He exercised his will power, forcing himself to be still in the chair.

As if on cue, Khira stopped her touches, pulling back. Johnny closed his eyes and sighed in both relief and loss. No sooner did he relax than his eyes fly open and jaw tighten. Khira's lips had wrapped around the tip of his cock. She began to suck just that part, rubbing her tongue against him, bobbing her head up and down, all the hallmarks of an excellent blow job, except only touching the very end of his cock. He ventured a glance down at Khira, who was decidedly occupied. Again, futilely, he tried to press against her, to move her mouth further down his cock. Johnny moaned helplessly, a sound Khira never expected to hear. It sent a chill down her spine. She reached up and gathered his balls in one hand, gently brushing and massaging them with her fingers. Khira felt Johnny's thighs tense even harder. She heard his breath coming in measured, controlled puffs. Khira swirled her tongue around the tip of his cock a couple times, eliciting another strangled growl from the man.

Withdrawing from her task, Khira reached down and unbuckled the restraints around Johnny's ankles, allowing his feet to touch the ground. Coming out of his daze for a moment, Johnny looked down in time to see Khira pull herself up and reach up to undo his head strap. He shook his head and stretched his neck, then looked down again to see Khira settling once again, this time resting her cleavage against his length. She rubbed up against him, slowly a couple times, then dipped her head down and lavished her tongue against his cock, just slightly past the tip. It did not last long, however, as Khira quickly became bored of that position. She pressed her palm against his chest and pinned him to the chair, lest he lean forward, while she moved to straddle his waist again. She rocked against him, positioning so that he pressed to her entrance, as though ready to slide into her, though she did not push down hard enough. She moved as though riding him slowly, watching his facial expressions. He glared up at her defiantly, his teeth bared in a half-smirk, half-snarl. Khira, still pinning him down, leaned down and kissed him, a vicious, hungry kiss. She knew he was worked up. So was she. While he was distracted, rumbling into the kiss aggressively, she allowed herself to sink down just an inch, her heat surrounding what she had spent so much time teasing. She broke the kiss and gasped, as though it was an accident. It indeed took all of her will power to pull herself off of him again, instead of taking him all in.

Johnny's head fell back into the head rest, his body having broken into a light sweat.

She'd finally gotten him.

Or so she thought. She had stood up from the chair, nonchalantly removed the restraints from his hands and waist, leaving him free. She then moved to the case of toys, making herself busy. She was baiting him.

Ozone filled the air and green wisps caught the corner of her eye. Before she could turn around or react, something had slid around her neck and was being buckled at the back. She went to touch it, curious. Collar. Spiked. She shut her eyes and smiled to herself. Johnny pulled her against him, pressing his chest to her back. His voice was husky as he spoke lowly to her, "You're mine now." Unsure how he meant that exactly, Khira soon found herself being gathered, one arm moving around her shoulders, his gloved hand cupping one breast. His other hand moved to hold her hip, and he bent his head down to the crook of her neck. He kissed and licked there gently, lulling Khira into a haze, before viciously marking her, firmly holding her in place as his fangs pierce her skin, quickly drawing blood.

Khira gave a brief, labored cry, then bit her tongue, gritting her teeth against the pain. If there was anymore question in her mind what he had meant, this erased it all. He was claiming her, leaving his mark on her body. The collar had been a gift. She kept still, though tense, as he let go of the crook of her neck. She could feel him detach, and though it had been incredibly painful, she accepted it. She didn't fight against him. Johnny licked his lips and teeth clean, keeping hold of her, pulling her tightly against him.

"Didn't expect that," Khira chuckled. She fingered one of the spikes on her new collar, unwilling to assume what it meant, but privately feeling quite excited about it.

"Mmm, what did you expect then?" He breathed the question into her ear, giving her chills.

"I expected you to jump on me. To make me pay for teasing you. It's kind of what I was going for." She grinned, though he couldn't see it.

"Like this?" Johnny spun Khira around and pulled her tightly against him again, pressing his mouth to hers in a primal, though strangely loving kiss, long and slow. He laid her down on the floor, which had been kept very clean by the hotel staff, and followed her down, bending his head so he could gently lick at the bite injury he caused her.

"Not exactly... but I'll take it." Khira smiled at him genuinely, inviting him to press down against her.

He settled against her, propping himself up on his forearms as he drew back and looked down at her. "You know. You looked after me before the change. When I was drunk and miserable. You. Not Christian. Not Pandora. You went through all that thankless shit, and - now look at you." He sighed. "I'm no good at this reality thing, but... Thank you."

Khira lifted an eyebrow. She wasn't any better at the reality thing than he, and never once had he mentioned the past in such a way. She had let it go long ago. She furrowed her brow. "What does that mean?"

"It means, I know you'll stick around through bad shit when it happens. You're not fair-weather or seasonal. You're real and solid. And," he looked directly into her eyes and waited until she locked gazes with him. "And, I will be absolutely damned if I let you go without a fight."

Khira let her head drop back against the floor. She was at a complete loss. "But, I.. I mean.. What are you...?" She fumbled her words, wanting to ask exactly the right question, but it eluded her.

Johnny chuckled soundlessly, planted a tender kiss to her lips just before positioning himself just so, and pressing his length into her sex, carefully. Khira gasped genuinely this time, not having expected that either. With everything going on, she figured sex was going to fall by the wayside in lieu of romance. However, as he filled her up, when he pushed in fully to the hilt, Khira got a brand new sensation spreading through her belly and chest. Her gaze was fixed, pupils dilated, as though looking far away, trying to sort out what was going on. What she did understand, was when Johnny began to move, pressing into her, then pulling away. She hooked her knees over his hips, closed her eyes and let the sensations overwhelm her.

As her body broke into a light sweat, her brow furrowed, Johnny watched everything. He studied her reactions, waiting to see if realization would dawn on her. He did not initially change his pace, technique, or anything else, allowing the heat to build within Khira's core.

When it became clear to him that she would not have that realization, he leaned down and spoke softly to her in a husky voice, "Khira..." Simply him saying her name brought on a surge of emotion from her, and it washed over Johnny pleasantly. He enjoyed it so that he murmured her name a second time. "Khira..."

The second time, she responded, whispering his name in kind. It thrilled Johnny, and he drove a little harder into her, making her moan and arch her back. Johnny growled softly, pressing his palms underneath her to her shoulderblades as he dropped his head down next to hers, his breath coming in shaking puffs. Khira writhed beneath him. She called his name more heatedly, her fingers pressing into the muscles of his back, the primal part of her wishing he would speed up, but the rest of her wanting to stay on the edge for as long as possible.

Through grit teeth and shaky breaths, Johnny murmurs to Khira, "I want you. Forever. I want you to be mine. Forever." Khira's heart hammers in her chest, and as she hears his words, the sensations she was experiencing increased ten-fold. Johnny felt the projection and groaned intensely, steeling himself against it. He ramped it up a little bit, abbreviating every word with a grinding thrust. "Be. My. Love. Always." His tone had heated up.

But it didn't need to. Khira's energy spoke for her. Though she couldn't find the words, with every word he said, she had become more happy. Her eyes had opened and she was searching for him. He picked himself up again to look at her, his expression one of unmistakable seriousness. She pulled him down into a long, desperate, breathless kiss. The air around them became palpable. Seconds later, Khira broke off the kiss, gasping for breath and giving forth a high pitched outcry, convulsing and shaking with easily the most powerful climax she's ever had. Johnny, too gasped and held on tightly to Khira, trying to ride out the storm, but was swept away, beaten by the currents of Khira's projections. He grit his teeth and snarled, growled as his climax wracked his body like a torrent. The pair held tightly onto each other, a violent cycle of sensation and projection ripping all control from either of them in that final moment.

The moment passed, and Khira collapsed, followed quickly by Johnny, both lying sprawled out, breathless and unable to move. Khira, so swept away was she by the experience she had tears in her eyes. Even so, she gave off nothing but positive feelings and energies. Johnny stayed quiet, as though speaking would destroy their moment together.

"I will." Khira's voice, soft though it was, showed there had been careful consideration on her part about Johnny's question to her.

"You will?" Johnny tried to lift his head, but couldn't yet, completely pinned down by what had just happened.

Khira nodded. "I'll be your love." She reached up and touched the collar Johnny had put on her. "Forever, if that's what you want."

Johnny chuckled. "It is." He sighed softly, finally pushing himself up onto his forearms and looking down at Khira. "I love you," he said in a gentle tone quite uncharacteristic of Johnny.

After what felt like ages of struggling with herself, Khira gave over to the idea. She did love Johnny. But saying it out loud? She had been afraid to up to this point. Love was a foreign concept to her. But then, if he could feel her projections, he knew already anyway. "I love you too, Johnny," she finally said, gasping at the end, as if to stave off her feelings of anxiety. But when she breathed again, the world hadn't ended. Johnny didn't run screaming. She didn't burst into flames. Everything was the same as it was.

Except it wasn't. The way Johnny looked at her, it seemed both prideful and humble at the same time. He smiled reassuringly. "Relax, I'm right there with you. You think it was easy for me?" He chuckled, rested a hand against the side of her face. "It wasn't. I was terrified."

This did make Khira smile smally. "And now?"

"Now? Relieved. Happy - no, ecstatic!" He beamed down at her, then kissed her on the lips fully before he found the strength to push up and pull away from Khira. "The others won't know what the collar means. They might guess - but they wouldn't know."

"Okay." Khira stretched out her very used limbs, growling and shaking with the effort. Still on high, she allowed herself to stay on the floor a moment longer.

"You coming?" Johnny had set up the oversized cot for them to lie in.

"Again, so soon? Damn, you're talented!" Khira gave an impish smile to Johnny before rolling over and pushing herself up to make her way to the cot. "Wow, big cot." She sat down on it, then laid back. "Surprisingly comfortable as well!" She grinned and beckoned Johnny to join her, who did so enthusiastically.

They lay awake for a while, just enjoying the company of one another before they dozed off to sleep. The tour bus wouldn't leave without them if they were a little late. Besides, nobody knew where they were. Christian wouldn't bug them the same way he had in the past.

Johnny had curled protectively around Khira in his sleep nonetheless.


	9. Past Lives

**A/N: It's been long enough, I think I should do a flashback/dream sequence to maybe clarify some things that happened in the past, before the Warriors were transformed. I know, I know, it's an overused plot device, but it works! No smut in this chapter. Hey, we all need a break sometimes. ;)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Secure and fast asleep in Johnny's grasp, one thing he had said to her this evening stuck in the back of her mind. _"You looked after me before the change. When I was drunk and miserable. You. Not Christian. Not Pandora. You went through all that thankless shit, and - now look at you."_

As the phrase teased the edges of her consciousness, thoughts and memories bled into her dream sequence.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

A new manager had come into the lives of the four bandmates. Johnny, still human at the time, took every opportunity to drink himself stupid. Pandora was the mouthpiece for the group on the business end, her brilliant mind navigating easily through the legalities of their contracts. Christian had been seeing Pandora for some time, and indeed they started the band together, calling it Struck Down. His butt was on the line with the other two, however, as he had just endorsed a new guitar player for their meager threesome. Khira was nobody. She hadn't been part of the scene, and she never had formal training in the art of guitar playing. Pandora and Johnny agreed to let her try out, and as Christian's vote carried heavy weight, they had expected the best.

They were not disappointed. Not only did she melt faces with her sick guitar solos, but she had a hell of a singing voice, too.

Better yet, Pandora and Christian agreed, a new bandmate meant a new grunt - someone to pick up the duties they really didn't want to deal with.

Chiefly, Johnny.

Outside of the high-profile night club in which they were going to play, they had just returned from a meeting with the owner. Pandora dragged her palms over her face in frustration. "No substance abuse before the show?! We play tomorrow night! How in blue hell are we going to pull that off?" Pandora had dragged Christian aside, speaking in hushed tones, so Khira, the new girl, and Johnny, the problem, couldn't hear her. As she glanced to make sure they were not approaching, she caught Johnny picking a fight with his shadow against a wall. She groaned and clasped her hand over her eyes. "That's it, Johnny's going to end us."

Christian smiled at his love. "No worries. We have a new grunt. Khira used to work at a clinic. She knows what to do."

"Well, isn't that convenient." Pandora looked at Christian, her sarcasm piercing his optimism. "You can't be serious. We have one bandmate with a drinking problem, and another who just happens to know how to deal with detox?"

"Yep!" Christian beamed happily at Pandora. "Trust me, dear, we'll make this happen. Now come on, our taxi's waiting on us." He whistled to Johnny and Khira who, after some direction, managed to cram into their cab.

A long silence ensued as the three bandmates stared at Johnny. Bleary eyed and shitfaced, he was oblivious at first. But when it registered that nobody was chattering away, he became disturbed. "What? WhadIdonow?" His words slurred together, but the intent was clear in his tone.

"Same as always, Johnny," Christian said cheerfully. "Your love of booze got the best of you, and now that great love threatens the wellbeing of this band."

"Hey!" Johnny paused for a moment, looking at the rest of the group. "I mean... well shit... one gig without liquid courage couldn't kill me. Could it?"

"Not kill, but make incredibly uncomfortable!" Khira started in, talking about the sweats and the DTs, and before she got into the really painful bits of withdrawal symptoms, Christian thrust his hand out against her, pinning her to her seat with an uncharacteristic glare. He shook his head slowly, and Khira's shocked look became one of apologetic realization. They wanted Johnny to want to detox, not be scared by it.

Johnny waved off the warnings Khira was listing. "Ya had me at 'not kill.' I've been through worse." He smiled lopsidedly at Khira, whose expression was decidely blank. She wouldn't give away anything, in case she robbed them of their chance of getting Johnny sober, even just for an evening.

"Alright, to the pharmacy!" Khira smiled cheerfully, a mask she had worn many times for patients in the clinic she worked at.

Back at their paid-for hotel room, they made Johnny comfortable. As they were not medical professionals, they could not obtain intravenous materialslegally, so they opted for oral support - vitamins, thiamine, and lots and lots of water.

"Okay, have fun!" Christian smiled and waved at Khira and Johnny and started to leave.

"Wait, what?" Khira stared at Christian, trying to process what was going on.

"Hey chick, you knew this was coming. You joined knowing you'd be our work horse. Well, work!" He smirked and made a sound and motion like that of a whip. Khira narrowed her eyes at Christian, annoyed, but what he said was true after all.

"You win this round, you bastard!" She laughed at him and shook her fist.

Throughout the night, Khira had force-fed Johnny his vitamins and water, refusing to let up. At one point, she did have to secure him to the recliner as his arms and legs started to spasm and twitch with DTs. She dabbed his forehead and face with a damp cloth, washing away the sweats as he purged the alcohol from his system. She leaned back and sighed when Johnny fell asleep. He did still spasm and twitch, but as he was tied down, there was very little chance of him falling off the chair.

Day finally broke. Khira awoke to Johnny cursing and staring balefully at her. A string of filthy insults and threats emitted from his mouth as he pulled against the restraints. "Uhh, guys?!" Khira called urgently to Christian and Pandora, who did not respond. They'd stepped out while Johnny and Khira were asleep, and left them alone. Khira had seen that look before, and it was usually the precursor to a violent episode. Knowing what she did of Johnny, she knew the false smile wouldn't work. Instead she had a look of resolve. "Alright Johnny, this is the worst of it. Now more than ever you need these medications."

"_Fuck_ your medications!" He snarled at her viciously. "Get me a _drink_. I _need _a _drink_!" As the restraints were makeshift, in his frenzy he broke one arm free. Khira gasped and backpedaled as fast as she could, stumbling over furniture on her way back. Her eyes widened as he ripped the other restraints from his limbs and moved to stand over her, an angry look of desperation on his face. His body heaved as a bout of agony shot through his system. He groaned painfully and buckled, steadying himself against the chair Khira had been sitting in.

Khira quickly skittered sideways, putting distance between herself and the singer. "Johnny, you know what will happen if you show up tonight drunk!" Despite her better judgment, she tried to reason with the rampaging addict. It earned her a cushion from the chair, which Johnny had thrown at her, though his aim was terrible.

As he sunk to his knees and growled aloud in pain, Khira went and gathered the medications he needed, including painkillers. She put them in a small plastic cup, and got him a drink to take them with. She approached him slowly and made sure he saw her. "Johnny? Take these, they'll help." She offered them to him from a distance, waiting until his flailing in her general direction passed and resignation became apparent in his actions. She handed him the items, and he took all the meds and drank down the liquid she gave him.

Khira hunched down and sat on her knees a few feet away from him, silently offering her moral support as the medications slowly took effect. She did not attempt to move him, and allowed him to self-regulate without her interference.

When finally things were calm and he could breathe regularly, when the shakes and sweats finally stopped, it was almost sundown. Christian and Pandora had returned hours before and offered their support. Leaving them alone had been a mistake, Christian and Pandora knew that now. Whether it was the heavy supportive medications or time, or general willpower on Johnny's part, they had managed to stand him up and get him ready for the concert. Johnny, still steeling himself against his withdrawal symptoms, simply kept to himself and didn't say a word as they all got dressed up for their act.

The concert had actually gone well. Johnny's performance had not suffered in the wake of his abstinence from alcohol for the day. Khira had been tasked in following Johnny around and making sure he did not partake before their performance. She wore a scowl the entire time. Fewer things killed her buzz than being forced into acting like she still worked in the clinic. That hellhole... Still, Johnny had gone through this of his own accord. She would be remiss if she did not help the band.

But as soon as their gig was up and the manager of the club asked to speak with Pandora about their future endeavors, the other three split up and sure enough, Johnny went straight to drinking again. They did, after all, say it was just for a night.

They had turned down the offer by the manager of the night club to sign on as permanent performers, deciding instead to try and make it as something bigger than a house band. After a long discussion and a lot of arguing, Pandora and Christian finally had Khira convinced to look out for Johnny whenever they played a gig. At the best of times, Khira had to watch Johnny pick fights with perfect strangers and vomit all over himself. At the worst of times, Khira came away with bruises and even lacerations. Still, they were garnering quite a lot of success as a band, and when Johnny wasn't absolutely shitfaced, he was at least interesting to talk to, learning about his past on the streets of London, his jail time, his rage issues, everything that made him, him. It almost made dealing with him bearable.

Still, even knowing Johnny's background did not make the injuries she sustained any less painful. Half the time, the wounds were accidents, made by Johnny stumbling or falling and striking her or something near her. Broken glass is not the friend of flesh.

Khira had given up a lot to support the band. Pandora and Christian had known Johnny could get very bad with his mannerisms and general existence, but they knew very little of what Khira actually did, what they had asked of her unwittingly.

They had made a decent living for themselves in a few years, scraping and scrimping in the beginning, now able to afford new instruments, amps, and even a tour bus with some crew members. While they weren't platinum-rated, they made a comfortable wage and life was very good.

Then, the rock gods called them that fateful night at CBGB's. Word had spread the metal Beast was ravaging the countryside, and they, as well as other bands, had been called to defeat it. Khira watched in wonderment as Christian sprouted wings. Pandora in a flash of brilliant light had gone from human to elf, her ears now elongated and pointy, her armor shining in the low-lit club. Then, Johnny laughed maniacally, disappearing from view. In the confusion, brief though it was, Khira searched for her bandmate. He reappeared, laughing as he had before, completely transformed. In the place of that miserable drunkard stood a god, his blue skin and steel mohawk only the most noticeable of changes. His spiked shoulders and forearms made Khira's heart skip a beat. His attire had changed, too, wearing the black jeans and a leather studded vest adorned with decorations. Around his neck was a spiked collar and a chain with a padlock on it.

She caught herself staring. Johnny's new look - it excited her, and she was taken by surprise at just how much. She snapped out of it when he looked in her direction, and she then noticed his fiery orange eyes. She blinked hard, shook her head and looked down at herself.

Nothing had changed. She was the same as when they began.

Then the smoke cleared, and all was still again. The crowd at CBGB's erupted in wild cheer, and the band, professionals they had become, performed their final song for the night.

Backstage, the bandmates examined themselves and each other. Their appearances had changed so dramatically. But as far as personality, Christian's had remained as impish as ever, and Pandora was still Pandora. Johnny, however, had a complete change of heart. It was as though his transformation had purged his addiction and his very poor attitude at the same time.

He was a different person.

Even so, he did remember everything, and everything Khira had done and endured during his lowest moments with the band. Looking over to the guitarist, he saw her, sitting alone, lost in thought.

"Khira?" Christian approached his long-time friend, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Yeah?" Khira looked up from hooded eyes, clearly fighting herself in her own head.

"Y'okay?" Christian took another step towards her.

"Am I okay?" Khira grinned a wicked smile, her eyes never changing their venomous stare. "_Am I okay!? _Oh, yeah, I'm just fucking peaches and cream, Christian!" She stood suddenly from her seat. The rest of the band flinched as the normally patient and calm guitarist exploded with rage. "I was overlooked! Come on! I was on stage with you guys. What, did the gods' aim go slightly to the left and I was just too far right to catch it?!" Her lip curled up in a snarl as her gaze swept over the other band members. "_And you!_" She charged up to Johnny and got right close to his face. He looked down at her, keeping calm and letting her have at him. She'd earned it. She was so angry, she stammered, made hand gestures, pointed at him, then growled and pushed past him, towards the exit.

"Whoa. Heavy." Christian stared for a long time at the exit door, which had slammed shut in Khira's wake.

"Well, what do we do now? We need her!" Pandora glared at Christian and pointed at the exit. "You go get her back, right now!"

"No." Johnny spoke in a soft, yet authoritative tone. "I'll go."

"I think you're the last person she wants to see, Johnny," Pandora said coldly.

"Which is exactly why I need to be the one to go." His eyes burned as he addressed Pandora. "Relax. I'll just talk to her."

"Yeah, okay," Christian said with a thick coat of sarcasm.

Ignoring his comment, Johnny left the couple alone and tracked after Khira. She had been so angry, and he found he could see it. He could see the rage in the air where she had stormed away, though the trail was getting quickly cold. He followed after it, jogging to catch up.

He found her near the bus, leaned up against the bumper, staring at the ground, arms crossed. What he saw wasn't just rage, but what felt like... was it doubt?

"Hey." He shook her out of her reflective moment. He raised his hands in the universal sign for 'I come in peace'. She turned her face away from him. If she was honest with herself, it was because she couldn't look at Johnny without those confusing feelings of attraction. Still, before she could turn away, he noticed the shift in her energy, though he did not know what he read.

"Hi Johnny," was all she managed to say. Her tone was flat. She had no interest in engaging him in conversation, that much was clear.

He took that as permission to join her leaning against the tour bus bumper. He looked up at the sky, then down at the ground, trying to find what to say. "We need you, you know," he finally came up with. "Don't go taking off on us."

When she didn't respond, he pushed himself up off the bumper and started to walk away. He was caught by Khira's hand, which snatched him by the wrist. When he looked over, he saw her look up and directly at him. The unidentifiable signature was coming off of her again, though it did not feel like the words she said to him next. "I'm not going anywhere." She pulled him down and made sure he was listening carefully. "I have given _way too much_ to this band to leave now." With those words, she released his wrist. Tension hung heavy in the air as she let the gravity of what she said sink into Johnny's head.

As the full force of her words hit him, he began to nod. "I know." He turned broadside to her. "For what it's worth... you have my apologies, and gratitude." He then left her, and as he walked away, he felt a tugging sensation - not physical, but mental. She didn't want him to leave. Still, after their exchange, Johnny thought it best to get away from her, to let her decide for herself what she wanted.

Months passed. They had successfully defeated the Beast and reinstated the God of Rock to his place, and had a hell of a journey in the process. Khira's rage with the gods, at first quite tempered and volatile, had shrunk down to a sense of annoyance, and after a long period of reflection, even relief and gratitude. They had played hundreds of gigs, and Khira hadn't been injured at a single set, party, gig, event, anything. Johnny had indeed changed with his transformation. He was still absolutely insane, but in a way much better than raving drunkard. Even her rage at Johnny had ebbed, and was becoming replaced with that strange sense of attraction she had felt. Instead of fading like most girlish crushes, she found herself becoming more and more drawn to him. He was still himself, surely. Same person, but with a new outlook, a new purpose, and it showed in most all that he did.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Khira began to awaken, the memories disturbing her sleep. Her heart began to beat harder, remembering those torturous days and weeks and months. _"Now look at you."_ Johnny had said that to her last night. It rang loudly in her ears, and it made her think for a brief, fleeting moment about herself.

She _did_ put up with a lot. Looking down, she saw Johnny staring up at her with a smirk on his face. "Moaning in your sleep like that is bound to get you a wakeup surprise, my dear." He winked. He was playing it off, as obviously he knew just what she was feeling, and could guess why.

Khira let him have that, at least, and smiled disarmingly. "Maybe that's what I'm going for." She winked at him. "What time is it, anyway?"

"Time to go." Johnny got up from the cot. "They may not leave without us, but I'd rather they not try and look for us. Come on."

"Awww. Okay." Khira smirked to herself. "Hey, when we get back, let's find Pandora and make out like horny teenagers in front of her, what do you say?"

Johnny laughed aloud. "I'm game, let's do it!"

Khira whooped happily and giggled as she gathered her clothes and redressed, not caring about the items scattered about the room.

They boarded the bus and made good on what they said. Outside the bus could be heard Pandora's voice, laughing. "Oh, come _on_! Really!? ... Hey could you teach me how to do that? No wait I didn't mean that! Shit! _Christian_!"


	10. Like A Good Christian

**A/N: Playing another show. Hey, they're a band, it's what they do. :) No worries! This will have the smut in it! I know you miss it. Addicts. ;) It's okay, you're in good company. :D**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

This time, Christian was tasked with choosing the setlist, and like a "good boyfriend" as Pandora liked to call him when he did something right, he consulted her on song choices. He had been sitting in the kitchen area, where a tiny table gave him a space to write and work things out.

"_Christian!_" He heard Pandora yell for him and the random evil giggling of their new gossip piece - he meant, couple. He groaned, got up from his chair and trudged to the lounge, as though he were a child being made to clean his room.

"What is it?" He asked sweetly, leaning in the doorway, his eyes shut to hide the fact that he was rolling them at the pair. When he opened his eyes again, he was shocked to find Khira with her back against the seat of their couch and Johnny on top of her, kissing her in a very graphic fashion. The way they had situated, Pandora could not get past them to escape.

He fell down to the floor and started laughing.

"_What are you laughing at!?_" Pandora was uncomfortable as hell. "Come on, you two! We don't flaunt our endeavors!"

"That, is because you have no guts and entirely too much in the way of self control." Johnny pulled away from Khira enough to say that to Pandora. Clearly they were trying very hard to make her uncomfortable, and it was working, and everybody _except_ Pandora was enjoying the predicament.

"Okay guys, come on, let her by." Christian let a little time pass before he made the request, as a way to get under Pandora's skin and get himself in a little bit of trouble. He liked getting into trouble with Pandora. She was so... _strict_... and if he played his cards right, he would have made Johnny and Khira unwitting accomplices in his way-too-complicated plans of getting laid later.

"Yes, please do!" Pandora, despite herself, started giggling at the absurdity of it all. "Look, I don't have an issue with you guys _devouring_ each other, but pinning me against the wall while you do it is just douchey." When they didn't move immediately, Pandora huffed a little. "Alright, come on, I have to help Christian with the setlist."

"Cheater!" Khira broke away from Johnny's kisses and pointed accusingly at Christian. "You said _you_ were going to come up with a list!" Khira was a little breathless having put forth all her effort into making Pandora uncomfortable. As if on cue, Pandora leapt and tiptoed around the couple, grunting with a mix of apology and annoyance when she touched one of their legs. At least they were taking a short break to breathe and berrate Christian. Pandora smiled in her head at that, though her expression was a mix of fluster and amusement.

"Hey," Christian held up his hands, "You know me, I'll pick all heavy stuff. Dethklok, Megadeth, Slayer... I'd rather your hand live to see another day, lady." He huffed at Khira and turned his nose up at her in an exaggerated fashion. As Johnny started to push up from the floor and uncovered Khira, he noticed something. "Hey, where'd you get that?" He indicated the collar.

"Oh, this? Gift." She craned her neck to show it off and smiled.

"Bejesus fucking H. _Christ_, what is _that_!?" He then pointed accusingly at the mark left at Khira's neck, much deeper than the play bite he had decided to ignore the other day.

"Rough sex!" Johnny reared up on his knees and then stood, his tone defensive and a little angry. "What's it to you?" He lied about the rough sex part, and attempted to intimidate Christian into letting the subject drop.

"Well, I mean, I don't know. Do we need to get her checked?" Christian leaned over and craned his neck to look at Khira's bite mark again, though Johnny moved to block his view.

Johnny smirked. He clapped a rough hand on Christian's shoulder. "Look, bud. She's going to be okay, I guarantee it. I haven't got anything she can catch."

"Not through a bite, anyway," Pandora called from the other room, eliciting a laugh from Christian, who upon seeing Johnny's unamused glare, sputtered from the laughter.

"Yeah... anyway, we'll talk later." He gave another quasi-concerned glance to his friend and backed into the adjacent room to join Pandora.

"Well shit! Why not just tell them?" Khira looked up at Johnny from the floor, having been comfortable in the admittedly awkward position.

"Are you joking?" Johnny looked at Khira, truly baffled. "Think about it. You spent _years_ dealing with me, a job solely on you. A job they didn't help with. You and I went through hell together." He meant it as a frightening thing, not a bonding issue, because it very nearly cost the band their guitar player through grave injuries. "See, look here." He hauled Khira to her feet and pressed a finger against the inside of her forearm to a faded scar. "Dublin, 2006." He lifted her other arm and thrust another finger into her ribs, where they had cracked. "Seattle, 2008." He grabbed the sides of her head and looked directly into her eyes. "Countless bloody noses, split lips, black eyes, even an orbital fracture." His expression was hard, as was his tone. "After I was changed, everything flooded back into my brain. The fuzzy memories were clear as day. I. Remembered. Everything." He let go of her head and stood, back straight.

Khira looked on patiently while Johnny described their past together with more vivid detail than she, herself remembered.

"Look, Khira," he said, trying to be gentle, while shining light on some hard truths. "I don't know how they'll react. They might think I'm abusing you against your will."

"But," Khira started, "I like the roughness. They would understand that."

Johnny's face remained grim. "If this wasn't still pretty new, I might give them the benefit of the doubt. As it stands, even the transformation was only a few months ago." He stared into her eyes. "We _just_ happened. If they knew what the collar and mark meant, they might think I'm making a move to subjugate you."

Khira couldn't help but smile at the thought. "Who's to say I wouldn't like that, too?"

Johnny smiled despite trying to maintain the seriousness of the conversation. He sighed, losing the battle. "Alright. I'll tell you what, let's cut the difference. We won't say anything right now. Let's give it a little time, and then, we can spring it on them."

Khira looked down and away in thought before looking at Johnny. "What... exactly... is it we'd be springing on them?" She'd never asked. She, like Christian and Pandora, could guess at the implications, but she wanted to hear it from Johnny to be absolutely sure.

Johnny smiled and grasped her sides, bringing her roughly against him, causing Khira's breath to hitch in her throat. "It means," his tone changed to dark and suggestive, "we're bonded."

"Bonded how?" Khira smiled shyly, though her eyes were bold.

Johnny growled in his chest, leaned forward and spoke against Khira's ear. "Mated. Pair-bonded. Fused together. Lots of ways to put it." He chuckled darkly. "You belong to me. And I belong to you."

Khira tilted her head. "Liiiiiike... Engaged, sort of?" Khira had been confused. She attempted to put a more conventional label on what Johnny was saying, but he snorted and waved off the simile.

"Not quite," he said carefully. "More of a promise."

"And telling them would be bad because...?"

"Because it's only been a short while, and I don't need a Pandoran lecture." He smirked at Khira who laughed aloud. "Yep, that's what it comes down to. I don't wanna hear her shit."

"Well, they are bound to find out. But okay. Compromise it is." She stuck out her hand to shake Johnny's, who snorted again, grasped her hand and pulled her once again tightly against him. Khira delighted in the sensation of the studs on Johnny's vest biting against her skin and sighed inaudibly. "Come on, let's get something to eat, it's been forever." She grinned at Johnny, dispeling all the naughty ways he could deconstruct her statement.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pen in hand, Christian chewed the inside of his cheek, attempting to put together a set list that would satisfy his inner metal head, while at the same time preserving the limbs and voices of his bandmates. So far, he had "Laser Cannon Deth Sentence" by Dethklok, "Sweating Bullets" by Megadeth, and "Sudden Death", also by Megadeth, to keep with the whole "deth" theme.

Pandora rested her hand on the table and leaned onto it, over Christian's shoulder and viewed his choices. She smirked. "Nice choices. You want Khira to pull a Zakk Wylde and bleed all over her guitar?"

"What? No! She can do these songs." Christian was a little defensive, having thought his themed set list was clever.

"Well look here. You have all hard-and-fast songs that require a _ton_ of finger work." She held up a hand to stop Christian before he could make a crude comment. "Be serious." She leaned down to speak lowly so her voice didn't carry over to the next room, where the other two bandmates were likely all over each other. "You want to really fuck with those two in 1there?"

Christian was confused a moment, then realization dawned on his face and he started to smirk gleefully. "Always. But then, I'm usually up for messing with everybody."

"I know," Pandora said flatly, her lids half closed as she remembered Christian taking his sweet fucking time helping her out of her predicament not ten minutes ago. Christian ginned like the Cheshire cat. Pandora slapped him upside his head playfully. "Don't think I haven't forgotten," she warned him with a cunning smile. "But back to the point. Fucking with Romeo and Juliet in there," she jerked her thumb back towards the other part of the bus.

"Well, how do you want to fuck with them?" Christian had a few ideas in mind.

"I was thinking, maybe some 'Hot Blooded' by Foreigner, maybe 'Lick It Up' by KISS, 'Girls, Girls, Girls' by Crue..."

"Whoa, hang on," Christian waved both hands in the air as if to ward off Pandora's suggestions. "You know those songs are basically powderkegs, right? With Khira's new... Gift... We'd all be doomed." He started scribbling notes on the paper he had. "How about... we throw in some slower heavy tunes? 'Hard to See' by Five Finger should be okay. 'No Leaf Clover' will go well in this set. And one. _One_. Song that might get Khira going. Let's say, 'Gmme All Your Lovin' by ZZ Top?"

Pandora rolled her eyes. "Fine. But i get to pick the order." She snatched the list from Christian and danced away with it, avoiding his ape-like grasp with ease.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx**

On stage at their latest show, sweat poured off of Khira, the mix of the lighting, as well as the general difficulty of the songs she was made to play, along with the purity of the primal instincts kicking up within her had nearly brought her to her knees.

They had begun the night with Megadeth. "Sweating Bullets" was not too difficult to play. It was a good introduction. She had, however, seen the set list, and spent every waking spare second glowering at Christian, who smiled cheerfully and waved at her. She still glared, but her lip curled up in a smarling grin as the next song was played. "No Leaf Clover." He had chosen well, but she knew what was coming.

"Hard To See" was always fun to play, and the crowd loved their cover. Then came "Sudden Death." This is where Khira became drenched in sweat. Thank the gods for arm bands, or she may have really screwed up the song. Johnny's growling voice thundered through the stadium, and Khira felt the buildup in her system from the heaviness of the song.

It was almost a relief when they covered ZZ Top's "Gimme All your Lovin'" because it was pretty slow. It gave her a chance to rest. Although, when she looked at Johnny and saw him perform, saw the way he handled the mic and it's stand, she chuckled darkly. Christian looked over at Khira just in time to see a vicious smile spread on her features. "Oh, shit," he muttered to himself just before an _intense_ wave of sensation washed over him. "She did that on purpose!" He couldn't help his own predatory smirk. He looked up at Pandora who was smirking knowingly at Christian. "You!" He mouthed the word to his love. She'd planned the whole thing! She knew Khira would try and take control given Christian's song choices, and Pandora's effort to get him to fuck with Khira and Johnny was met with a successful attempt by Pandora to fuck with him! "Minx," he mouthed the next word as he grinned at Pandora before turning away and pouring his heart and soul into the music.

The entire stadium was tense, drawn like a bowstring to its limits. And next, they were playing "Laser Cannon Deth Sentence" by Dethklok.

They were all doomed.

"Fire!" Johnny growled the command to the crowd. Khira's fingers flew expertly across her guitar's frets, Pandora's legs worked overtime as the double bass drum kick demanded her all. Christian worked just as hard as Khira on his bass guitar. Soon, the entire band was lost in the pure savagery of the song.

"There's no one that can make me repent the things I've done! Evil is my prime objective. I! Explode! And bestow your death!" Khira thrashed and stomped as she played, her eyes open wide as her pulse pounded. Johnny growling the line in such a definitive manner seared her to the core. There was no turning back.

"D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-diiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !" Johnny roared out the last phrase, and Khira joined him, baring her fangs and exorcising the tension pulled so tightly within her. Once more, her eyes glowed brightly, her pupils and irises disappearing. The final note thundered through the venue, Khira lifting her arms and throwing her head back in triumph.

The wild, ravenous cheering of their fans, the adulation of their admirers fueled the band, and as hard as the crowd cheered, the other three bandmates were playing it off, all of them riding the violent surge of energy Khira had supplied them.

Khira spread her arms, smiling viciously into the crowd, revealing she'd bled all over her guitar. Her fingertips were shredded like hamburger. Instead of limping off stage to take care of it, Khira seemed to delight in it, like she'd claimed some sort of victory.

The crowd loved it.

Khira did not bother looking to her bandmates as she turned and walked backstage, thrusting her guitar to the roadie in charge of her instrument. "Thanks, Jim," she said to him with a smile, though her eyes were predatory. Jim stuttered, stared at her, then the guitar, then to her again, though she had begun to walk away by this point.

She made her way to the wash room, eyeing herself in the mirror. As expected, she was drenched in sweat and her hair was messed up to hell. Her eyes had returned to normal, though the blue irises looked colder, sharper than normal.

She then looked down at her hand. Chuckling to herself, she supposed that's why they called it "shredding." It wasn't the guitar. It was the fingertips.

Before her eyes, the skin knitted together and there were no cuts left. Baffled, she ran the fingertips of her right hand over those of her left. No pain. No scars. Sensation intact.

"_Dude_!" Christian barged in on her, his eyes bugging out. "You have _never_ played like that before! Oh, my gods, Khira, you...! Whoop, being dragged off against my will, bye!" He was indeed being hauled away by Pandora, who was so set on her goals of taking Christian to privacy she didn't bother a wave to Khira.

Khira, still jumpy, washed her hands of her own blood. She was quite unsure how suddenly she could heal, but given recent occurrances, she decided not to question it. She moved to unscrew the fangs she'd had implanted in her late teens, only to find they were now fused. They weren't props anymore. They were _her_ teeth.

She swallowed nervously.

Johnny appeared a short time later by Khira's side who, lost in thought had wandered back towards the bus. "_Yeah_! That was fucking _amazing_!" Johnny was elated with the results of their show. "Hey, let me see your hands." He reached out to grab them, but noted Khira's hesitation. He gave her a quizzical look. "Come on, Khira, I'm not going to pour lemon juice on them."

Reluctantly, she handed over her perfectly mended hand.

"No." Johnny stared in disbelief. He looked up at Khira and grinned wickedly. When she grinned back, he saw her fangs still in. He also noticed they changed in appearance. "No!" His disbelief was not unpleasant, in fact he was rather excited.

"I think so," Khira said, almost unwilling to accept it. If she accepted it, it might not be really true. It might be a cruel dream, and she would have to wake up.

Johnny laughed evilly, crushed Khira in a vicious hug. "Are you happy?"

"Happy? Happy I _finally_ changed along with you guys? That I'm basically a vampire who feeds on the crowd's energy? You bet your sweet blue ass I'm happy!" She shouted excitedly, leaping in place in elation. "I'm a warrior! Inside and _out_! Hell _yes_!"

"And you don't even look terribly different," he purred to her, resting his hands on her shoulders and looking down at her. "Just a teeny bit more predatory." He chuckled darkly. "I like that."

"Mmm, you know this opens up the door for a whole new set of things we can do... privately, as well as on stage." Khira's sly smile sent shocks through Johnny's system. She nodded knowingly and smirked.

"Ohhh, I can't tell you what I'm thinking right now," Johnny squirmed a little, making a show of his perverted thoughts invading his normal thought process, then chuckling evilly. "Wait, yes I can. Come here." He drew her close and growled deeply to her the various things he would have her do, and what he would do to her.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Whoa, whoa!" Christian was being jerked around by Pandora who was navigating the route to the bus, pulling him along, not against his will, but at a pace and roughness he was unsure of. "Woman! Slow down!"

Pandora looked back at Christian and smiled evilly. "No." She hauled him up the stairs into the tour bus and guided him forcibly into the bunk room, onto the mattress situated on the floor. He went willingly, smiling a content little smile, loving it when Pandora took control.

With a forceful push against his chest, Pandora made Christian lie down before she climbed onto him, leaning down and wordlessly planting a possessive kiss to his lips. Christian hummed in surprise, his hands moving up her sides sensually. Without breaking from him, Pandora growls and pushes his hands away, then redoubles her efforts in devouring him.

She pulls quickly away, sitting up as she looks down on his supine form. Her lips were parted, eye lids half closed, and she panted softly. Christian's smile could light up the room. "You could've just asked. You didn't need to manipulate Khira and Johnny to get me, you know."

"Where's the fun in that?" Pandora smiled slyly, tracing a fingertip up Christian's lithe chest, along his neck and jawline, pressing to his lips, which firmed underneath her touch. "I get to mess with all of you at once. This pleases me," she smirked at Christian. He had been used to this sort of thing from Pandora. She did need to exercise her brain to get in the mood, after all. Manipulating her bandmates in ways that were almost always beneficial for them all was a perfect way to make that happen.

Christian had something tugging in the back of his mind. He frowned a moment. "Did you see Khira...?"

"Hush now." Pandora pressed her finger harder against Christian's lips. "You really want to think about her in this moment, love?" She teased him a little, knowing full well what he was going to say. She noticed the bite mark and collar herself, and she did notice the changes in their guitar player before she hauled Christian away.

Christian resigned, relaxing against the mattress. "No," he murmured, parting his lips and taking her fingertip into his mouth, pressing his tongue against it, just shy of sucking on it.

Pandora chuckled lowly. "Good boy." She withdrew her finger, Christian following it as far as he could without actually sitting up. "Easy," she purred to him, stroking his chest with her fingertips again. "Plenty of time for that later." She breathed her words to him, moving to lie on him, her pert breasts pressing to his chest, making Christian smile as a warmth spread through his body.

"As you say, Mistress," he affirmed, calling Pandora by their agreed-upon title. "May I touch you now?"

"Mmm, just my hair and head for now, love," she spoke heatedly as she slid down his body, planting neat little kisses down his neck and chest. Christian loved it when she left a trail. He rested his hand against the side of her head, letting her hair run through his fingers. He traced the ridge of her pointed ear, smiling even wider as she gave a groan of approval.

Pandora did not look at Christian, instead glided her tongue against the hard lines of Christian's abdomen. She lowered her head a little and prodded her tongue into the dip of his navel, making him jerk under her. He didn't particularly like it when she pulled that stunt, but he was the subservient of the two, taking whatever she felt like dishing out. She smiled when he didn't struggle or protest, rewarding him with a light feathery touch of her tongue against his lower abdominals, causing him to twitch, this time pleasantly under her ministrations.

Pandora then slid to the side, lying next to Christian, facing him, but at about waist level. She stared hard between his legs, as though willing him to get hard for her. When he didn't, she smiled sweetly, reaching out with her hand to lightly rub him there. "You are doing so well, love," she crooned. "Don't move... just get hard for me."

Christian smiled and closed his eyes. "Yes, mistress," he whispered, concentrating on the feeling of her teasing little fingers on his crotch which, with his self control, took some time to get hard. She may be in charge, but he had his wily ways of controlling her, too.

As he hardened under her very light touches, her touch got ever lighter. She opened his jeans, but did not putt his boxers down, opting to tease him through the thin fabric instead. He waas silent and still, holding most of his reactions in check. However, with each pass of her unpredictable, maddeningly gentle touches, his cock twitched, straining to be rubbed harder. Pandora chuckled every now and again at this phenomenon, knowing very well how pent-up this had him feeling.

"Mmm. Somebody wants to come out and play." She giggled and ran her fingertips all the way from base to tip, slowly, reaching back and swirling her fingertips around the head of his cock, making his breath hitch in his throat. He held his breath momentarily, earning him a rebuke from Pandora. "Breathe," she commanded, to which a shaky breath and an involuntary moan emitted from Christian. He began to pant softly, his body betraying his willpower.

Pandora chuckled darkly as she drove Christian mad with lust. "Let's pull these down a little, shall we?" She growled a little, pulling the waist band of his boxers up and away, exposing his throbbing length. Pandora smiled. "For me?"

"Of course, Mistress," he panted.

"And what should I do with it, love?" She chuckled again.

"Whatever Mistress wants," he swallowed hard, his entire body rigid as he tries to hold his instincts in check.

Pandora leaned down very close to his cock and breathed on it as she spoke. "Does my love want release?"

Christian nodded feverishly, his pulsating member twitching from the sensations her breath causes, and the promise that her delicious, clever tongue would touch it.

"Speak to me, love."

"Yes Mistress I want release, Mistress, please." His voice was soft and quiet. If he had spoken any louder, it would have cracked, and that would displease Pandora greatly. Or so she would have him believe.

With a sneaky smile, she did glide her tongue tip firmly against his flesh, making him arch his back and moan thickly. She delighted in making him make such a noise by doing so little. She had him in the palm of her hand.

Ever the tease, she swirled her tongue a few times around the tip of him, closing her lips around him just enough to pull off of him with a slick pop. Christian bit back a whimper, his hands out to his sides, making claw formations as he resisted the urge to take control, and thus lose all chances of release for the forseeabkle future.

Damn it, Pandora was good.

As she sat up, she casually pulled her gloves off, reaching over to the makeshift storage box next to the mattress, extracting a bottle of lubricant. She coated her palms with it, smiling sweetly down at Christian, who seemed quite tense. "Mmm, you know massage is great for such problems, like stress. Look at you," she mimicked concern, leaning over him again. "So tense, you're hard as a rock." She grinned. "Let me help." She reached out and gathered Christian's length into her hands, using all of one and some of the other to pump him.

Christian gasped and arched his back until only his shoulders and the base of his spine touched. He grit his teeth, growling heatedly at Pandora's excellent technique. He started to breathe heavily. "I'm going to come, Mistress." He spoke a little too late, and at Pandora's torturous beckoning, he shot hot seed onto his belly.

Pandora smirked satisfactorialy, slowing her strokes as he starts to come down from the dizzying heights he had been launched to by his love. Christian, however, was quite flustered, grunting in contained frustration, even at his release. He wanted _more_... but he was done already? He tried to control his breathing, to catch his breath.

Pandora, meanwhile, neatly cleaned her hands of lubricant and bodily fluids, smiling sweetly at Christian and planting a kiss on his forehead. "There's a good love," she said with an edge to her voice that promised more. But, he would have to wair.

_Damn it_, Pandora was good...


	11. Discovery

**A/N: In the middle of an upswing in my bipolar disorder which means... Fanfic! Get the blood pumping and the creative juices flowing. Damn, this fic has taken on a whole life of its own! I want to thank you guys for reading, and in some cases re-reading my work! It means a lot to this fangirling maniac. :)**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Outside the bunk room in the lounge area, Pandora and Christian wandered, to find the knowing smirks of both Khira and Johnny aimed right at them.

"What are you two pervs looking at?" Pandora turned up her nose at the duo in an exaggerated display of feigned ignorance. "And why are you laughing?" She planted her fists on her hips and lowered her head, but not her gaze at both of them, who had randomly cracked up. Christian was behind Pandora, giving a cheesy grin and two big thumbs-up, pointing at Pandora and nodding his head.

Khira ratted him out first, pointing at the winged man, who assumed then an innocent stance, hands down, no jumping, looking up and away from Pandora. "Oh, yeah! Like I'm going to buy that!" Pandora smacked Christian on the arm, who flinched away and gave a hurt puppy look, only making Khira laugh even harder and Johnny smirk.

When Pandora was done smiling wickedly over her shoulder so only Christian could see it, she then turned to Khira. "Show me."

Khira lifted an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean. Your hand isn't bandaged up, and I don't see hamburgered flesh, so let's see ya. Stand up!"

Johnny, reclined, then sat up attentively. "Yes, please, stand!" He winked at Khira, fully intent on making a show out of staring at her.

Khira peered at Johnny, but spoke in a sweet voice. "If it pleases you." She then stood up gracefully and strode over to Pandora, spread her arms and turned in a slow circle, in full on display mode. "Interestingly enough, old scars and injuries didn't heal... only the recent ones. Namely, the bloody fingers."

"Yeah, that was awesome by the way," Pandora said with a genuine grin. "Fucking hardcore."

"That's how we do it!" Johnny grinned.

"Shut up, Johnny!" Christian and Pandora turned to him in unison, laughing despite themselves.

"Not a chance in hell!" Johnny fell back to the couch and laughed. "See, _my_ girl doesn't mind that behavior. She isn't made of ice." He looked directly at Pandora.

Pandora glared at Johnny. She then smiled warmly at him. "But Johnny. It's fun for me to keep you guessing. Am I an ice queen? Or am I fire between the sheets?"

"Well...?" Johnny expected an answer, though he looked at Christian to get it.

"Whoa, no way man, I'm not getting roped into this conversation." he held up his hands and stepped back slowly.

"Good boy," Pandora crooned to Christian, touched his face lovingly. "Now," she changed her tone and turned from her love. "How do you mean, old injuries didn't heal?"

"Well," Khira started and looked over her shoulder at Johnny, who simply sat back and watched, offering no indication as to his designs on the conversation. Khira swallowed. "Well," she started again, "all those scars I sustained over the years, the broken bones, recent cuts and bruises, have not healed. I still have those scars and wounds." She displayed her arms for Pandora to examine closely, and while it appeared she would stay there, she thrust her face close to Khira's shoulder, gawking at the now days-old bite mark. Khira backed away, narrowing her eyes at Pandora.

Pandora let her retreat. "And what, pray tell, was that?"

Khira looked again to Johnny for guidance, who finally rose from his chair and smiled. "You were right, they did pick up on it. Was worth a shot."

"Worth a shot? What is he talking about, Khira?" Pandora's tone was even, but dangerous.

Khira fingered the spikes on her collar, absent-mindedly trying to form the answer. She picked her words carefully. "It's a promise."

"The fuck..?" Christian stepped to be wit the rest of the group, looking to Khira nervously.

Khira, however, smiled warmly at her friends. "We wanted some time to pass before we said anything, but I think that Johnny and I... we're going to stay together." She continued to measure her responses, not wishing to cause misinterpretation of her meaning. No, they weren't going to settle down. No, they weren't going to wed each other. But neither did either of them have designs on ending their time together for the forseeable future.

"Okay," Pandora stated almost as a question. "Seems like an odd measure to take for something like a promise."

Khira chuckled. "Pandora, I'm okay. If I didn't want it, i would have ended him. I've learned my limits. This wasn't like those other times, where I was hurt in anger or by accident. This was deliberate, careful, and so hot." Khira almost breathed out the last two words recalling the moment, shivering inwardly. The rest of the group also shivered involuntarily, Johnny grinning, Pandora and Christian flinching and stepping away.

"Jesus _Christ_! Okay, okay! You liked it, we get it! No hiding that!" Pandora waved the air in front of her as if trying to ward off the sensations Khira was causing them. Christian played at the same gestures, though inwardly he wondered if Pandora would go for a little bite play.

Khira giggled despite herself. "Alright, so long story short, I can heal from... well, from this evening's show, until the power stops, I guess. Which may be never, I dunno."

"But, what are you?" Pandora tilted her head a little, looking at Khira. "You changed. Your eyes. Your skin. Your teeth." She nervously approached the next question. "You're not going to, you know... turn us, are you?"

Khira giggled uncontrollably. "Come _on_ Pandora. You read too many books. Relax. I'm not a 'real' vampire. My energy comes from the crowd. Also, food still sustans me. So your blood is safe, lady." She grinned and waved off the concerns Pandora had.

Christian piped up. "So, you throw off emotion, which causes the crowd to go into a fucking _frenzy_, then you turn around and get energy from that? Sweet goddamn deal, I say!" He went to high-five Khira, who obliged him with zeal, smirking at her old friend.

"It happened!" Khira laughed gleefully and thrust her arms up unti the air, a wave of joy striking the band, who joined her in celebration; though, none needed the help from Khira's empathy.

The bus pulled into the next town where they would be playing nearly a day early. The venue was not prepared for their arrival, and as such they were turned away to find accommodations and a 'different fucking place to park.' Apparently the manager of the place had heard of their recent shows, about how people got overly excited and did stupid things at their shows, and he didn't like it, hence the rudeness.

With a manic grin, Khira leapt off the bus and bounced off towards their accommodations, Johnny in tow, feeling her excitement roll off of him like heat from the sun. Christian and Pandora stayed behind, in part to stay away from Khira's empathy, and in part because they wanted time to themselves on the bus.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Khira turned on Johnny the moment they entered their room, pinning him to the door and devouring him. She grasped his vest as she pulled him down to her, forcibly taking the kiss, claiming him in her own way. Johnny expected and welcomed the assault, rumbling deep in his chest as his hands smoothly ran up and down Khira's sides, shivering from that perfect curve.

Khira's pulse was already surging, the mix of excitement from finally changing, to the filthy things Johnny had been whispering to her hours before that they could do with her new healing abilities caused heat to pool between her thighs. She shuddered from this realization and pressed her body hard against Johnny's, fiercely combating with him for control over the kiss.

Sensing this, Johnny grasped Khira's sides and spun them, thrusting Khira back against the door without breaking their kiss. Possessively, he growled, pressing his hips to hers, though he didn't move them besides that, delighting in Khira's frustrated groans at his lack of that particular action. She tried grinding against him, but he grabbed her hips and forced her to be still.

He broke off the kiss, slightly breathless, and smiled down at his prey. "Let's see how far this new transformation can take you, shall we?" He ground the words out between breaths, pushing off of and away from Khira, beckoning her to follow him, while at the same time challenging her to take some kind of control.

"We shall," Khira hissed, smiling viciously as she pursued Johnny, intent on her goal.

With impossible speed, Khira was upon him. She subdued him to the bed, slamming him to the mattress and crawling on top of him, smiling with delight at his look of utter shock. She hadn't gained much in the way of strength, but she was so fast. Before he knew it, she was straddled on top of him, tracing a fingertip over his chest, smiling mischievously. "Uh oh. What happened there?" She gave an impish grin, leaning down and kissing his lips in a light, restrained fashion. At her deceptively light touches, Johnny's blood began to pound through his body.

He liked it. A _lot_.

"Don't move." Khira warned him as she moved off of him, holding him in place with her gaze and a stern look when she moved away. She set to work, stripping herself of her clothes. She much preferred clothes not interfere when she put actions to thoughts later in the night. She'd turned her back to him momentarily, on purpose, while she discarded her clothes to the other side of the room.

A hand had crept up the inside of her thigh. Khira froze in place, smiling privately. She wore a glare, then, and looked back at Johnny, whose wicked grin betrayed everything he was thinking. His hand stopped just shy of the crook of her leg, his fingers lightly brushing the sensitive skin on the inside of her thigh.

She turned around, slowly, letting his hand readjust. She didn't want him to stop. Indeed, she liked his teasing, defiant touch. She spoke in an even, measured tone. "That's moving. I told you not to."

"I know." Johnny's tone was low and dangerous, and as he spoke, he let his fingers brush lightly against Khira's sex as though it were an accident. She shivered, but held her ground. Johnny smirked. "Oops."

"Oops indeed," she sucked in a breath through grit teeth as he returned to just touching her leg. "You play a dangerous game here." There was an edge to her voice, though it was thickly obscured by the heat behind it. Johnny grinned wider, letting his tongue poke out between his teeth and run along them. Khira shuddered visibly and even let it seep into her voice. "Oh, don't you dare," she growled. "Don't you dare unless you plan to use it."

"Make me." Johnny then stared directly at his hand as it pressed palm-up firmly against Khira's sex, rubbing the flesh there thoroughly, the tips of his fingers pressing against her opening without actually sliding in.

Khira's heart rammed against her chest wall, and at his teasing, she got a dark glower on her face. She leaned down and crawled onto the bed, Johnny's hand sliding away from her, not because he wanted it to, but because she came too close for him to touch. She hovered inches above his face, breathing his breaths, staring him down. Her tongue slid out carefully, gliding against Johnny's lips, tracing them, taking painstaking steps to make sure he understood what she was doing. With Johnny frozen in place, she teased his tongue out of his mouth, making sure to pay special attention to it. She brushed the tip of her tongue against his, circling it, then sliding the flat of her tongue firmly against his. Only a few times did their lips touch together.

Johnny's mind was completely abuzz with the thoughts running through his head. Khira was surprisingly good at simulating cunnilingus. He felt his whole body tingling, brimming with excitement at this revelation. He found he wanted to crush his lips to hers in a hungry, animalistic kiss, but found too that he was welded in place by a sense of wonderment. So when she pressed her lips to his in a slow, teasing kiss, he heard a growl rise up within him, his body tensing with the desire to take control.

Before he could act, Khira reared up, sitting back on her heels, straddling his abdomen. She smirked down at him, relishing in the fact that she's made him the way he made her feel, not by empathy, but with her actions. No, if this were empathy, he would be much more predatory than that.

Before he could snap out of it, she moved up, her knees planted on either side of his head. She towered over him, gave him a stern look from her position of superiority. "Go on. Like I showed you." She smiled and winked.

Shuddering heavily, Johnny's hands came up and grasped Khira's ass, holding her in place as he buried his face into her crotch. Khira gasped, expecting a lot more resistance. The feeling of his fingers pressed against her behind, taking control where she would allow it, coupled with his zealous and skillful licks caught her by surprise. He had taken her cues, thoroughly and painstakingly going over every bit of her slit. He closed his lips around her clit and nibbled gently, making her inhale sharply and grip his arms behind her, taking care not to get caught on his spikes.

While she was distracted, Johnny rolled them both, planting her on her back against the mattress, him settled between her legs and continuing to lavish her with his tongue. She tensed painfully against the sheets, refusing to writhe. Johnny chuckled darkly, realizing she had been holding her breath. "Come on, baby," he purred to her, "let me hear you scream."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Khira chuckled breathlessly.

Johnny hummed his affirmation. "I would indeed... though, i could _make_ you scream... I could even make you scream my name..." He peeked from between her legs and smirked at her knowingly.

Khira smirked viciously at Johnny, spread her arms in challenge. "Give me all you got, sweet heart."

Johnny made her regret saying that immediately as he pressed his teeth to the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. It was no full-on open-mouthed bite. No, this was a teeny pinch. Khira's body jerked, though she bit off the outcry. Johnny chuckled darkly. "You know you want to," he breathed to her, leaning his head down and placing a longer, more sensuous bite against the crook of her leg by her hip. Khira wanted to moan. She wanted to say his name. She wanted to give him what he wanted.

But she didn't. Instead she growled, pressing her shoulderblades into the mattress as she tensed to remain in control.

He then placed another firm, slow kiss to Khira's sex, which despite her best efforts had become quite warm and wet. He growled deeply as he pushed his tongue hard against her sex, running from her entrance up to her clit in one broad, firm stroke. Khira's body rose up off the mattress, though she made no sound.

Johnny shuddered hard, his hands coming up, threading underneath her thighs and holding her waist. He spoke to her, though he was still decidedly occupied with his task, his tone low and feverish. "I want to hear you scream, Khira," he growled her name. "I _need_ to hear it. Oh, fuck, it's like music to my ears, baby." He licked her again, long and slow, nibbling at her clit again, eliciting a gasp from her. "Yes, that's it," he encouraged her, his voice darkening. "Come on. Moan for me."

Khira grasped the sheets and grit her teeth. She shook with effort as another, firmer, slower stroke of his tongue devastated her slit. Shocks spread through her system, followed by a white heat. He took one of the labia between his teeth and pulled gently, letting it go easily. Khira whimpered helplessly, a very soft, almost indetectable sound through the pounding of Johnny's heart in his ears.

It was enough. It was the toehold Johnny was looking for, and he dove back in, working his tongue against her and not letting up. His tongue struck again and again against her clit, stopping only when he chose instead to nibble in that devastating fashion he was doing before.

Khira held on, her hands grabbing the sheets in a deathgrip. She began to squirm against the mattress, began to lose control over her body. She bared her fangs as she began a vicious, seething growl, which evolved in the same breath to a roar of pleasure and defeat. She then began to convulse and writhe, a series of pleasured screams filling the air. Against her will, Johnny forcibly ripped her orgasm from her body, causing her to buck wildly, her legs flexing hard around, but not against Johnny.

He didn't let up. In fact, it was almost as if he didn't notice she had climaxed. He continued to lick and suck and nibble, holding her down by her waist. Khira panted softly. "Wait-wait... Wait! I-I..." Khira couldn't form a complete thought, whimpering and yelping as his tongue slid over her clit over and over again, that overly sensitive bit of flesh a source of both pain and pleasure for Khira.

She dug her fingernails into her palms and grit her teeth, growling with effort. Johnny pulled away only to speak. "I didn't hear my name," he said simply before redoubling his efforts.

Khira seethed between grit teeth. "That's because I didn't say it," she groaned heatedly.

"Mmm, that's a problem, then." Johnny pulled the nibbling move again, making Khira's back arch painfully. "Unless you think you need more than a good tongue lashing..."

She knew what he was getting at, and would be damned if she let him win and get her to beg so easily. She chuckled darkly. "I dunno... maybe a spanking is in order?" She winked down at Johnny who had pulled away to look up to her, his smile vicious. He wiped his chin with his hand and chuckled.

"Maybe it is." He pushed himself up and away from Khira, then pulled her to her feet at the edge of the bed. He grabbed her by the base of her neck and drew her in for a vicious, punishing kiss. Just as she got into it, he pulled away and thrust her face first into the mattress, bent over the edge of the bed.

Without preamble, he struck out, his hand swatting firmly against Khira's butt. Khira yelped, her head thrown back. Johnny placed his free hand between her shoulderblades to keep her in place. He smirked as she struggled, and he spanked her again, in the same spot, making her cry out a second time. He then rubbed the spot with his palm, taking some of the bite out of it so he could hit her again.

Khira glowered over her shoulder up at Johnny. "Harder."

"Mmm!" Johnny laughed fully, his head thrown back, though he did keep his hold on her so she couldn't get away. He leaned down to speak lowly into her ear. "I may have to get a better angle for this. Don't you move."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she growled at him.

Johnny then stood behind her, his left hand holding fast to her hip. He drew his hand back and punished her with a new angle, the strike much sharper than the previous two.

Khira growled out a hybrid scream, her head thrown back, then bowed back to the mattress. "_Fuck_!"

"Only if you're good." Johnny chudkled darkly, giving Khira three more whacks in rapid succession, the skin on her right butt cheek turning a lovely shade of pink in the shape of his palm. Khira flinched and howled, shaking with the effort. As his hand rubbed the sore spot on her behind, Khira felt her blood rush through her veins. He chuckled again, pressed himself against her, though he was still fully clothed. "Come on, baby, talk to me. What's my name?"

"Fuck you!" Khira growled heatedly, defiant to the last. Johnny sensed she was breaking apart, however, and smiled wickedly at the idea that he could hold her here for hours.

"Oh, now..." He struck her again, extra hard, leaving a brand new set of five fingerprints on her beautiful skin, making her yelp loudly. He didn't rub the spot this time, letting it sting. "You'd like that. Wouldn't you?" He chuckled darkly as he turned her phrase back on her, then renewed the sting in her spanking, thwacking her again and again. "It's easy. Repeat after me: Johnny." He growled his own name out, trying to guide Khira to the right response. As she lie bent in front of him, writhing in pain, he covertly undid his belt and jeans, pulling his _very_ hard cock out and giving it a couple strokes, making him shiver. He was careful not to press against Khira.

Khira snarled in defiance. She was resisting quite well. Another strike from Johnny's palm and she cried out again, though she refused to utter his name, instead crying out, "God!"

Johnny frowned. "No. Not God. Johnny!" He lashed out again and again, not letting up.

Khira growled, though it turned into a painful howl, her body shaking as finally she spoke the magic words. "Johnny! _Johnny! Fuck, Johnny!" _She now cried his name freely, pins and needles dancing across the site of the spanking.

Johnny rubbed her butt gently. "Good girl," he purred. Khira began to relax as the sting was taken out of the punishing blows, and she moaned gratefully, burying her face into the sheets to hide the tears that had stung the corners of her eyes. Johnny pulled his hand away, moved to position himself behind Khira, his cock sliding snugly between her folds, but not penetrating her. "Now, what does my good girl want?"

Khira felt fire rise within her. Suddenly, with the treatment she'd received, and now with Johnny's length massaging against her sex, she was starving for him. She moaned and whimpered for him, trying to tilt her hips in just such a way that she could take him into her without being teased further.

She didn't get much of a fight. Johnny shuddered, hard, finding her entrance and forcing himself deep into her core. Khira shook and sobbed with relief. He started a slow, hard rhythm, gritting his teeth, resting one hand on the small of her back. Khira rocked back into him, closing her eyes and feeling heavy shocks going through her system with each stroke. She felt his other hand gather her hair up in it and pull her to standing, steadying herself against the edge of the bed. The hand on her back moved around and cupped her breast, kneading it and tweaking the nipple. Khira tilted her head back and found Johnny had leaned forward, resting his forehead against her shoulder. his rhythmic breaths signaled his concentration.

Khira moaned thickly, arching back into him, eliciting a mirrored groan from Johnny. Khira gasped at the sound, her pulse quickening. Johnny began to speed up the pace, still thrusting hard into her. Khira groaned, reached up with one hand to the one on her breast, holding tightly onto it as her senses were flooded with the sights, sounds, and feelings of what was going on. She heard his breaths, his growls and occasional groans. She smelled their scents mixing together, kind of like leather and powder, like maleness and sweat. She felt the tiny bolts of lightning in her limbs and the fire within her belly grow as Johnny took her.

And he was _taking _her. The hand in her hair had let go and was moving around to the base of her neck, though not against the column of her throat. She felt a sting against the nape of her neck, and felt the familiar sensation of teeth against skin.

That set Khira off. She let forth a string of epithets, cursing and swearing, then finally crying out his name, screaming it at the top of her lungs, a feirce, desperate sound.

Johnny growled appreciation for Khira's outcry, mercilessly pounding into her through her clmax. When she came down a bit, he breathed raggedly against the nape of her neck, losing his grip and letting her go, letting his hands slide down her back as she once again leaned forward into the sheets.

Johnny pulled out of her, growling at the sense of loss. He sat on the bed and leaned against the headboard, beckoning Khira over with one finger. Smiling evilly, Khira crawled over to him and settled down onto his lap, straddling his hips before she sank down, taking him into her once again. She shivered with the sensations, but Johnny, still highly sensitive and with pent up energy now, hissed as he felt her envelope him again. "Ride me," he growled, not in aggression, but out of hunger, starved for climax. Khira gasped at the command, her fire stoked anew, and she did just as she was told. She flexed and pushed expertly, moaning in pleasure from the new angle. Johnny, vision hazy from lust, slid his palms up to her shoulder blades and dipped his head into her cleaveage, groaning heavily in appreciation for her full, lovely breasts. His hands moved to her sides, then down to her waist and helped guide her up ad down, pressing up into her whenever she came down. Khira squirmed and keened in his grasp, her pulse hammering wildly in her veins.

He shut his eyes and tilted his head back, his breath coming in ragged pants, release just out of reach. "Khira," he moaned heatedly, shuddering from his own tone.

"Johnny," she answered, her tone a little more urgent than his own.

With a growl of possession and frustration, Johnny lifted her up and placed her on her back, moving over her and thrusting deep within her again. She held onto him tightly as he drove them into oblivion, the room filling with her screams. Johnny snarled as his difficult climax finally came to bare, his back spasming and convulsing as his cock twitched within Khira.

They both came down slowly, panting and groaning, coated in sweat.

Johnny chuckled first. "One of these days, we should use our free time to go to dinner or something."

Khira laughed breathlessly. "Oh, yeah, that'd go over big. 'Table for two? Why are you screaming? Monsters? Where!?'"

Johnny shook his head and grinned. "Can't believe I'm being shot down for a date with my own mate!"

Khira grinned back. "No, no, not shot down. Just saying how things might go!"

Johnny smirked. "Fine. Get technical."

"I will!" Khira stuck her tongue out, which Johnny nipped at successfully, earning him a yelp and giggle. "Hey!" 

"Hey nothing, you stuck it out, it's fair game."

"Is that how it works?" Khira gave a razor smile. The question was rhetorical, however, and she sighed heavily as her breath finally caught up with her.

Johnny pulled away from Khira, grinning foolishly and kissing her, gently, but possessively. "Come on. We should at least grab sone fast food."

Khira groaned and pulled a pillow over her face. "Do we have to? I'm so comfortable!" She giggled, then yelped when Johnny pinned the pillow to her face in a mock threat to smother her. "Okay, okay! We can go for food, jeez!" She chuckled when he removed the pillow and had a triumphant grin on his face. "You know, when people say 'I'd kill for a burger right now,' they don't mean they would actually kill someone. Right?"

Johnny shrugged. "I wouldn't kill you. I'd just make you go to sleep." He grinned and fluffed the pillow before casting it aside. "Shall we?"

"I'm still _naked_."

"That's okay!"

"It most certainly is not! Hey, give me that!" She proceeded to fight Johnny for every piece of clothing she needed in order to get ready for leaving the hotel room, delaying them by a good hour. "Damn it, Johnny, are you hungry or not!?" Laughter could be heard from their room just outside as a housekeeper walked by, noting the Do Not Disturb sign and passing without disturbing them.


	12. With Purpose

**A/N: Okay, getting into plot territory.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Whoa, Jesus Christ, we're going, we're going!" Khira stumbled out the back door of the venue, shoved first among the band members. The show had gone well. In fact, it had gone so well that the patrons had begun literally tearing down the walls.

As a result, their band, Struck Down, was no longer welcome at that particular venue.

"Well, so much for being grateful for a killer show," Christian muttered under his breath, glaring at the door that had been closed upon them. "Honestly, Khira, you've gotta get your shit together."

Pandora agreed. Johnny was silent.

Khira stared at her bandmates. "Seriously?" It took a moment for their comments, or lack thereof, to register. "Guys, come on. I'm trying."

"We know," Pandora piped up, "but this just cost us a full gig. We'll be lucky to get paid for this one."

Khira sighed. "Yes, I know. But hey, you remember, that guy already didn't like us and didn't want us here!" She pointed accusingly at the door. "Sure, I'll shoulder my share of the blame, but it isn't all on me."

The other three looked away, unwilling to make eye contact.

Disbelief and annoyance pierced the air around them. Khira spoke up. "Look, I may not have perfect control here, but how am I supposed to get it?"

Pandora chewed the inside of her cheek momentarily, thinking. "Let's play some smaller gigs. May be worth a shot, smaller crowd, less reaction?"

Johnny and Christian nodded and spoke their agreements.

Khira bowed her head. "Alright. I'll do it." When she looked up again, her face was cold. All empathy was sucked from the air. Pandora smiled at her friend. Christian gave a relieved puff of a sigh. Johnny looked a little uncomfortable. "Better?" She asked coolly.

"Yes." Pandora rested her hand on Khira's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "Now, do that during our sets and you'll be in control of it. Let it go when the time is right."

Khira shuddered under the weight of what she had to do. She'd held in her emotions for years while they were building their reputation. Now they were asking her to do it again. It was a bit much. Righteous rage flared up momentarily, causing the rest of the band to back up, but quickly it was abated as she acquiesced. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I can do this. I can do this."

"Great!" Christian beamed. "Because we have another show in, hmm, an hour? Local bar hired us after the spectacle that just happened in there." He jerked his thumb towards the stadium where they had been thrown out.

"An _hour_!?" Pandora went upside his head with the flat of her palm, grunting with annoyance. "We better get going then!"

"Allons-y!" Khira grinned. The rest of the band stared at her blankly. "It was a... Doctor Who ref... you know what, nevermind, let's go."

"I didn't know you knew French!" Johnny grinned and winked at Khira as they boarded their bus, earning him a playful shove as Khira pushed him away and bolted into the bus, laughing like a maniac.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx**

They arrived at the bar shortly and got to work with setup. Many of the patrons were whispering rumor amongst themselves that Struck Down was to be playing at their little hole-in-the-wall this evening! How exciting!

When they took the stage, the small crowd gathered and gave a meager mosh pit, small though it was. People on their cell phones called friends, and soon droves of people were pushing and shoving each other in exhaltation. The familiar scent of ozone filled the air as they played what was to be their last song for the night. Blue lightning bolts, tiny though they were, danced across Khira and Christian's fret boards, Pandora's sticks and Johnny's microphone. They looked nervously at one another.

The booming voice of the God of Rock thundered through the bar, hushing everyone, even the loud, drunken slobs. Khira gasped and looked toward the sky. "Uh, hello? Is this thing on? Ah, yes," the Demigod of Rock was making a sound check. "Warriors, you are needed again. Things did not end with the Beast."

Johnny spread his arms to the sky, his lip curled up in a hybrid smirk-snarl. "Come on! We just helped you out a few months ago!"

"I know, Johnny," the voice thundered. "Surely you saw this coming. We Rock Gods do not make Warriors for no reason."

The band turned to Khira, who had gone even more pale.

"I realize this is a day or two late, but you need to do this. Play to this crowd, Khira. Show them you have the speed and the heart to lead this assault!"

The crowd erupted in wild cheer.

Khira heard her heart pound in her chest. She felt time slow down.

One.

She took in a breath, looked at her bandmates who seemed to be moving as though through molasses.

Two.

She looked to the crowd, who had begin crowd surfing, and even wrecking in some places, though not quite to the level of Wall of Death.

Three.

She took up her guitar and gripped its neck firmly in her left hand, flexing her fingers around to the strings and frets.

Four!

Khira split the sound barrier, her fingers flying across the frets, starting not at the beginning, but in the middle of The Black Widow of La Porte. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, feeling as though she were playing at practice speeds.

Lightnng struck her fingers. Her eyes flew open and she gasped, looking down at her fingers to see they were a blur, like they were moving on their own. Her eyes flashed white and shone bright, her pupils and irises disappearing in the glow. She grit her teeth and growled heatedly, pouring emotion forth, all her energy, all her rage, all her spirit into that performance.

Even Christian, Pandora, and Johnny remained silent as she played. The crowd, however, was beside itself with joy.

As the last note droned out, Khira opened her mouth wide and shreiked a howl of triumph.

"Good! Go forth, Khira, and use these abilities to energize your bandmates and terrify your opponents!" Then, the Demigod of Rock went silent. The smell of ozone left the area. Khira was left on her own, in the dark, the lights having long since been dimmed.

Khira sighed and dropped to her knees. The crowd continued to cheer in adoration. Johnny bolted to Khira and helped her back to her feet. Christian and Pandora weren't far behind. "Come on, let's get out of here," Pandora said in a hushed tone. They aided Khira in returning from stage to their bus, where they were assured privacy.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"Get off me, woman, I'm fine!"

Khira protested at Christian who, at being called a woman, planted his hands on his hips and tsk'd. "Girlfriend, you damn near fainted out there! Here, let me just-"

"I said off!" Khira glared at Christian. "Look, I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine, honestly."

Christian relented. "Well, alright. But I'm not a woman!"

Khira smirked. "Prove it."

Christian smirked back. Pandora and Johnny both jumped in. "Hey, whoa! Bad Christian! No showey manbits!" Pandora thwacked Christian upside his head.

Johnny was a bit less playful. "'Prove it?' Really?" He smirked. His tone was low, dangerous, but he was just screwing with them.

Khira smiled innocently. "Hey, he's the one who said he isn't a woman. I said 'prove it.' I didn't say 'show me your cock, you big, handsome stallion!'"

Johnny balked momentarily. Christian busted up laughing. Pandora smiled wickedly.

Khira stood up and placed a hand on Johnny's chest, looking him firmly in the eye. "It's a joke. Calm down, love."

Johnny smiled evilly and placed his hands on her sides, speaking lowly, "I know that. It's still fun to play the jealous lover, though." He winked, then puleld away, letting her go. "Alright, so let's figure this shit out. We're called again, and this time, They saw fit to grant Khira a change." His expression darkened. "That means this is serious."

"I agree," Pandora chimed in. "They made you a _warrior,_ Khira. That isn't a reward. It's a task."

Khira sat back against the edge of the couch, chewing the edge of her tongue, deep in thought. "A task. I wonder what it is?" She looked around momentarily. "What do you think He meant by 'This did not end with the Beast'?"

Christian's eyes widened. "Something had to call it, yes? Something, or someone, anyway. Maybe that's it. We have to find out who this Beast summoner is and do something about it!" He slammed his fist down into the palm of his opposite hand, determined that his was the right answer.

He was also surprised when he found the rest of the band actually agreed with him.

"We have to go back to the Monument. Find out what it was that caused that atrocity to happen, see if we can't pick up a few hints." Pandora was in full on research mode, though she had little to go on at this point. She was eager to hit the road.

"Well, then let's do it!" Johnny jumped onto the couch, jostling Khira as he landed. "The Beast is still just roaming the area anyway, no more than a mobile stage. We have nothing to worry about there."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Pandora's face was green, remembering the swaying of the stage they played on when they freed the God of Rock.

Khira slid lazily down onto the couch, landing partially on Johnny, squishing him as best she could as vengeance for disturbing her leaning place. "It's our only lead. Fucking ambiguous Demigod of Rock." She stuck her tongue out at the ceiling and blew a raspberry. "You couldn't maybe give us a little more than that? Jeez."

The rest of the band started giggling when a blue lightning bolt struck out at Khira's tongue, causing her to yelp and crash to the floor.

"See what happens when you blaspheme?" Christian smirked at his friend, helping her up while Johnny and Pandora hurt themselves laughing.

"You guys are _such_ assholes." Khira couldn't help grinning, however. If it had happened to one of the others, she, too would be laughing.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

They had come to the ruins of the Monument fairly quickly, aided by the Gods in order to find the way. It was ruins due to the Demigod of Rock coming free from the mountainside those months ago.

The four bandmates walked around, wandering almost aimlessly as they looked for something, anything that might tell them what was going on and who would wish to unleash something like the metal Beast on the world. Sand and rock crunched under Pandora's boot as she approached the most obvious starting place - the altar. It was covered with dust and debris, but under all of that were inscriptions; directions on various rituals.

"I found it!" Pandora called the group over.

"Good, because this place is a blasted wasteland," Khira muttered.

Johnny looked back over his shoulder to see the Beast pound the floor. "Careful, I think somebody's butthurt by that comment."

Khira smirked. "'Butthurt?' I didn't think the Beast had an ass!"

"That's enough. This is serious." Pandora reprimanded Johnny and Khira, who became silent and paid attention. "Better. Okay, it looks here like on this side, they're describing the ritual surrounding the retrieval of the Demigod of Rock's axe guitar." She brushed off the dust. "But over here, it talks about the summoning. It promises longevity and the powers of all eight Warriors combined to the one who successfully summons the Beast."

"Well, that answers that question," Christian stated flatly. "Jeez, why do people need that stuff? How many people were injured and killed in the Beast attacks?" He sighed roughly, shaking his head.

"Look here. It says there is an instrument of equal and polarizing power to that of the axe guitar!" Pandora blew more dust away, causing Johnny to cough and shoot Pandora a look of annoyance, who smiled sheepishly. "Sorry... Oh! Here!" She pointed at the image. "It is another guitar. This one looks like a deer's skull, though. Hmm." She leaned in closer to examine the heiroglyph. "Yep. Whoever wanted to call the Beast used this guitar."

"Great," Khira said, "so how do _we _fnd it now? It isn't like the person who did this would let go of something like that - at the very least, they wouldn't put it back where they fuckin' found it!"

"Best we can do is trace in their footsteps. Hmm." Pandora continued to study the altar, busying herself with translations. Khira rubbed her face in frustration, dragging her fingertips over her eyes, dragging the lids down a bit. Johnny kicked around some rocks, and Christian sang sime inane tunes to pass the time. They all jumped when Pandora cried out, "Ah! I got it. We don't need to go back to where the skull guitar was. We can simply go to the hypersphere and _ask_ for the information."

The rest of the band looked at her like she was shrooming.

"No, really! Look here. We're allowed one question of the Hypersphere. Kind of like a giant Magic 8 Ball."

"I think _you're _on a Magic 8 Ball," Khira retorted.

"Shut up, Khira. Anyway, we have one question, and one trip through the wormhole to travel where we think we want to go." She shrugged. "It can be dodgy. We could ask the wrong question. We could go to the wrong place. But it's our fastest shot."

"I'm so glad you said 'fastest' and not 'best' because I would have to question that logic," Johnny glared at Pandora. "Look, I'm no stranger to random teleportations, but this could land us _anywhere_! More importantly, what do we do once we've been spirited away? Walk up to the bad guy and say 'Hey bro, can I borrow your axe?' Hah, fat chance."

Pandora seemed to consider this. "You do have a point, Johnny," she conceded, defeated momentarily. "The other option is to wait for whatever the fuck his name is to surface and cause havoc."

Johnny paused. "It is a tempting choice-"

"Johnny!" The three bandmates yelled at him.

"Let me finish! Like I said, it is a _tempting_ choice. But, if it would be anything even remotely like what the Beast did, it's best we just find the damn thing. Deal with consequences as they arise."

Khira breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, so we have a plan. Now, how do we get to this 'Hypersphere'?"

Pandora looked worriedly at her bandmates. "You're not going to like it."

"Just tell us!" Khira was getting irritated.

"Well. Basically. We uh. Um. Pray."

"_Pray!?_" Khira and Johnny spat out the word like poison.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Johnny was gesturing wildly. "Pray!? That's it? No drive, no pilgrimage, just pray?" He facepalmed, dragged his palm over his face and sighed. "Alright. Fine. What do we say?"

"We just kind of think really hard about going to the Hypersphere. But, um. We have to hold hands in a circle. Like grace at dinner."

"Like _what_!?" Khira was annoyed and confused. "You know what. Nevermind. Let's just get this over with.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N 2: Weeeee, cliffhanger! Oh, transitional chapters, is there no story you can't make boring? :)**


	13. Into the Hypersphere

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while... Anyway, I feel a little reciporcation is in order, late though it is... Ms. Rose Thornz has written a lovely tale in the rated T section called "**_**Rose With ItsThornz**_**." Thanks again to PunkRoseBlitz for the shout-out! :D**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Christian grinned at his bandmates. "Look at it this way. There are two men and two women in this group. Everybody gets an 'I'm not gay' pair of partners!"

"Oh, well THAT takes all the sting out of having to pray when you don't do that sort of thing." Khira huffed, then eyed both Christian and Johnny. "I'm not the hand-holdy sort. Don't make it weird."

Christian smirked, but before he could speak, Pandora shot her palm across the back of his head. "Not the time, not the place. Although," Pandora glared at Johnny, "holding hands with Johnny feels... odd. You sure you can't trade places with Khira?"

Christian laughed openly. "I am _not_ holding Johnny's hand, love. Sorry. You're going to have to put up and shut up."

"Hey!" Johnny narrowed his eyes at Pandora and Christian. "One of you is doing it, one way or another. Quit bloody fighting over it!"

"It's alright, Johnny," Khira said sweetly, almost mockingly, "I'll hold your hand." She smirked and took his hand in hers.

Johnny drew himself up tall and nodded. "Thank you, love! Now," he smirked and outstetched his other hand to the other pair. "Which of you is going to take it?" He waggled his brow.

"Ewwwww, you're making it weird!" Christian batted at the hand, hitting it towards Pandora, who huffed.

"I'll do it, you big baby!" She snatched Johnny's hand and glared at Christian, who stood by his love and laced his fingers with hers. He then glanced at Khira, who rolled her eyes, sighed, and clasped hands with her friend.

"Alright," Pandora said, "There isn't an incantation or phrase or anything. Just think of the Hypersphere."

"Best shot we got," Khira said, shrugging. "Let's do it."

The four warriors exchanged glances, and one by one, they closed their eyes and focused their thoughts on the Hypersphere. The sounds of the Beast snarling and stomping faded to nothingness, and soon not even the ambient noises of molten lava flowing in the background graced their ears.

Khira was the first to peek, her eyelids opening just a little. She saw Johnny, then Pandora, then Christian each still deep in thought, and all around them was blackness. She opened her eyes further and turned her head, looking around. "Whoa."

Pandora's eyes opened next, followed by Johnny, then Christian. "Whoa, indeed," she agreed with Khira. Christian and Pandora held fast to each other's hands, while Johnny and Khira pressed their fingertips against the back of each other's. Christian let go of Khira, and Johnny let go of Pandora. Like a seal had been broken, the air moved abruptly and strongly, blue particles swirling around them.

"What is-Mmph!" Christian's question was cut short by Pandora clasping her hand over his mouth. "We get one question. One. Don't mess this up." She glared at Johnny and Khira. "Any of you." Christian nodded helplessly and Pandora released him.

"Whoa!" Johnny took his turn to shout the word, stumbling, though the ground never actually moved. All around them, as though they were standing in the middle of a cube, wormholes were opening, but they did not manipulate the air or the gravity in the room. When this realization dawned on Johnny, he righted himself again and stared warily. As soon as he was fine again, the wormholes turned into fire, the red and orange glow of burning embers shooting skyward violently around them.

A hissing sound came from all directions, and a thousand voices spoke as one, male and female, ranging from very young to very old. "Speak, travelers."

Pandora glanced at the group, reminding them to remain silent. She thought a second, then spoke clearly and authoritatively. "We're here on behalf of the Demigod of Rock!"

The voices collectively laughed in derision at Pandora's statement. "'The Demigod of Rock,'" they repeated mockingly. "He has no sway here, mortals."

Pandora grit her teeth, standing defiantly. "We are afforded one question, regardless of his jurisdiction," she said with unwavering certainty. "You are bound to that by your own law."

The voices made a reluctant vocalization of consent. "True." The fire gave way to an image of stone structures reminiscent of Stonehenge. "Speak," they demanded tersely, contempt dripping from the words. As Pandora opened her mouth to speak, she was halted. "Ah ah. Keep your reply down to four words or less."

Pandora's rage grew, and she made an aggressive gesture, but did not ask 'why'; the word was bitten off, and instead she puffed her cheeks up, then sighed exhasperatedly. She shut her eyes and calmed herself just enough to keep from uttering the wrong thing. She stared pointedly at the stone structure in front of her, as though it was listening. "Who called the Beast?"

The voices laughed lyrically. "The one that called the Beast is not of your realm, mortal." They spat out the words like bile, as though mentioning such a fact was beneath them. They paused to consider the implications of Pandora's question. "Hmmm. The one you seek resides in the wormhole."

The bandmates exchanged glances, some hiding their confusion better than others. They were afforded only one question, and at that the cacophony of voices laughed, having given them the answer to their question. Pandora drew her brow together. "And you will not tell us his name."

"You get _one_ question!" The voices started to howl, offense taken to Pandora's masked question.

"It was a statement seeking confirmation," she counter-argued.

The voices growled. "A veiled question is still a question. Now, go! You have the answer to your question." Before Pandora could protest, the world seemed to melt around them, nothingness enveloping the group once again. They were brought back to the altar, as though the background just faded in from the blackness.

Pandora strode with purpose back to their bus. Christian followed after her after a concerned glance towards Johnny and Khira, who were left behind the other two, taking more time to get to the bus. Johnny let loose with his complaints. "The wormhole? What the hell is that!" He gestured wildly like a man frustrated. "How are we supposed to find a wormhole? Do we just make one? Why did they limit Pandora to 4 words? Seriously, Khira, what the blue fuck just happened back there?"

"I don't know!" Khira, bombarded with questions that demanded answers they did not have, defended herself against the barrage. "I do not know. But Pandora seems to have got something in mind. Relax. We'll figure it out." Neither of them stopped to chat, both just marching back to the bus.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The bus rumbled along the sandy road, leaving the Beast to itself. As it disappeared from the rear view mirror, Khira sighed. She leaned against the desk where Pandora worked, looking down at the laptop. "Have ya got anything just yet?"

Pandora shot a look at Khira, then returned her attention to the laptop, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "I just started, Khira. Why should I have anything?"

"You kidding? You practically teleported back here, _without_ Johnny's help, and you think I didn't pick up on the fact that you may have eve the barest scrap of where to start?" She met Pandora's pensive gaze with a lifted eyebrow and narrowed eyes.

Pandora huffed quietly and muttered, "Christian always does say you're too damned smart and curious for your own good." She spun the laptop so Khira could see it. "Here. There are multiple wormhole openings and locations on our planet. Several billions in the galaxy, but hey, we haven't exactly mastered space travel yet, so here are our choices."

Khira leaned down and eyed the location list closely. "Well, looks like we have a problem. Most of these damned locations are in oceans and seas." She pursed her lips. Pandora, staring at her bandmate, waited for her to see what she did. "Huh. Funny... the only accessible one is in Cardiff, Wales." As soon as Khira said it, she clasped her hands over her mouth and looked, wild-eyed at Pandora. "You're fucking kidding me, right?"

Pandora gave an impish smirk. "No, no joking here. The writers of Doctor Who do often draw from some small bits of scientific fact. Now it's a matter of finding times, conditions, etc. that will be most in our favor. Also, finding out what those conditons are, exactly. Yeah... we only have a place. No time, no prerequisites, nothing of the sort."

Khira blew air to get her bangs out of her face. "Still a trip! Insane. Just insane. And awesome."

"Geek," Pandora chuckled. Khira left Pandora to her devices, knowing the bookworm drummer could only stand distraction from research for so long before she becomes annoyed, and quickly unbearable.

"You love me anyway!" Khira called over her departing shoulder at Pandora with a cheeky smile before she left the drummer in peace.

The lounge area of their bus was populated by Christian and Johnny who seemed to be putting their heads together, too. "No, no, no!" Christian waved his arms negatively, as if to brush away Johnny's suggestion, which Khira had failed to hear before entering. "Look, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure was a great movie. I'm not disputing that! But we're not going to find a time-travelling phone booth!"

Johnny furrowed his brow. "I'm not suggesting that, Christian. You really have a low opinion on my intelllect, don't you?" Before the disagreement could become personal and ugly, Johnny looked up to see his love enter the room. "Ah, here we are!" Johnny grinned and tugged Khira by the wrist into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "So, Pandora have anything that can help us?"

Khira nodded. "She does. She has a starting point, a most likely area where we can find a wormhole entrance here on Earth." She shook her head. "Many portals into the wormhole all over this planet, but most of them are over some sort of water. There was one, however." She trailed off a second, having heard the last bit of Johnny's and Christian's arguement. "But, um. Yeah. You know that British science fiction show, Doctor Who?"

Johnny snorted. "Love, I am British. If I hadn't at least heard of it by now, I would have to turn in my Brit card."

"Right, I figured as much. But. Yeah. Uh. Wormhole. Cardiff, Wales. Most likely place to succeed in finding the entity."

Johnny stared a moment, then faceplanted into the palm of his hand, sighing heavily. "You're making that up."

"What?"

"You're making it up."

"I'm not, though! Pandora said so, and I saw the data for myself!" She huffed indignantly, then pushed Johnny with semi-playfulness when she saw he was beginning to laugh. "Oh, now, not the time or place!" Khira snuck in a small nip, though a hard one on the soft flesh of his neck, eliciting from him a shudder. He stared dangerously at Khira.

"Oh god, not here." Christian broke out a sqeeze bottle full of water and began misting the singer and guitar player with cold water. "Focus, people, focus! What can we do? What do we need?"

Khira, annoyed with Chrisian's methods, wiped her face and sighed. "Padora is looking into things like that."

"That's my girl," he smiled with pride. "She will let us know when she needs us," he confirmed.

"I understand," Khira said plainly. "Mean time, I could use a few things." She smiled slyly at Johnny, who in turn smirked viciously. "We will figure out the rest as we go, I suppose," she mused, wondering when they would need more snow sent into oblivion.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N2: This took me months to sit and write, haha. I have absolutely no idea what I meant by "more snow sent into oblivion" but I kept it because it seemed funny. xD I was REALLY tired when I wrote it, and going back to read it now it makes no sense. Eh, whatever. xD**


End file.
